Cause 4 Death II: The Colony
by Katlana Child
Summary: Revenge is such a strong word. It can compel people to do the stupidest of things for a few seconds of pride. Dr. Strader doesn't care if the victory is short lived though; he can't wait to see the Carriers suffer for what they have done.
1. Introduction

_**Guess who's back? Back again? Shelby's back! Tell a friend!**_

_**Hey guys! So, a lot has happened in the month or so that I've been gone. I've started at least three other stories, but haven't gotten the courage to post them. I'm still working with this story, so there is a possibility that it could be deleted unexpectedly. **_

_**I don't really like making sequels because I fear that they are just me trying to extend a story that wasn't too popular. But, you know, I really liked writing the first story and originally, there wasn't going to be a sequel...Until I started watching a Reality TV series called The Colony (on Netflix). I really liked it and I thought about what would happen if I combined the two stories. Thus, Cause 4 Death II: The Colony was born. I decided to establish an old tradition and write most of it during my math class, which my teacher was actually really cool about. So, I have a lot of it planned out and I'm actually going to thoroughly edit each chapter! However, it is summer and unlike the years before, I actually have to do stuff, like work on my Drivers Ed course which I was supposed to start two days ago, but you know...Polo. To pretty much sum it up, I'm going to be busy during the summer, but I'll try to update as much as possible! :D**_

_**I also get that a lot of people don't like it when fanfiction involves real people. Please understand that I do not know the characters in upcoming chapters personally, other than what I've seen on the TV show, The Colony. That being said, some of the information I provide may be false, but I'll try to stick to their personalities as close as possible and give them some justice because these guys are actually really amazing for going through what they did. I'll expand a little more when they actually get introduced into the story.**_

_**And again, I don't really like straying from the Cause of Death boards, so I'm going to credit the two other sources I am drawing from.**_

_**The Colony is a reality television show that has been featured on Discovery Channel. I will be using the characters and setting from Season 1. I do not own The Colony, but suggest you watch it if you are interested in post-apocalyptic reality shows.**_

Left 4 Dead 1 and 2 are video games created by Valve. I will be using seven characters from the two games. I do not own the Left 4 Dead franchise but also suggest you play it if you are into first person shooter, zombie games. 

_**Anyways, that's enough babbling! I really hope you guys enjoy this story! I'm glad to finally be back on Fanfiction and here's to another great spree of writing!**_

_**Thank you and please enjoy!**_

* * *

**Introduction**

"_Tomorrow, we commemorate the nation's heroes, the brave Carriers who rescued the world from certain annihilation from the Zombie Virus that took America in its clutches almost seven years ago. If it hadn't have been for the miraculous survival of these eleven Carriers, we would all be living a life of pain and misery. So I, as well as the entire United States would like to thank these Carriers and congratulate them on their success in establishing a new, safer world. This is Alora North, signing off."_

Dr. Alan Strader scoffed loudly and turned off the news report that he had broadcasted onto his laptop. He grumbled curses about the ignorance of the Carriers and how awful they had been to him. Sure, one of the eleven had stepped out of their way and donated their blood, but another brutally murdered his wife as she swiped at him and tried to take his head off.

Dr. Strader was the head of a corporation that studied viral diseases spread amongst a community. Their latest project had been, of course, the Zombie Virus. Because he knew nothing about the world during the apocalypse, he had decided to hire Kai Kalaba, a goofy, fun-loving scientist and well-known Carrier and inventor of the cure. Kai was a decent man and knew plenty of valuable information about the deadly virus. He studied it upon a regular basis, despite his already full-capacity knowledge. Strader attempted to make the man spill more details about the disease, but Kai was smart and often pulled out of a conversation before too much could be revealed; either accidentally or purposely.

Kai would be gone tomorrow, celebrating the seventh anniversary of the nations pull-through with the disease. He and the other Carriers often spent the week of the anniversary together, because they had learned that time was so precious and disasters could happen all too quickly. This meant the Carriers were inseparable for at least a week. Strader began to smile.

Though he hadn't received much information about the virus itself, he was allowed to study the anatomy of a Carrier and a Non-Carrier. Carriers were known for their blood which was immune to the particular disease introduced at the time. They were often called Survivors before using the term Carrier. Strader knew enough about a Carrier body to find out how much it took to alter the virus. With a flick of his wrist and a sleight of hand, Strader had the power to change the world. And since Strader was a brilliant man, he knew that he would not be giving up on the opportunity.

Strader's small business closed shop for the night and left, unknowing of the dark deed arising in Slader's twisted mind. When silence fell among the building, Strader snuck off, darting into a hallway plastered with motivational posters, and down a flight of metallic stairs. He entered a dark room, the soft hum of computers rising like a chorus in the air. A special safe lay locked near a book case. Plastered in tape was, "DANGER: HAZARDOUS MATERIAL" scrawled across locker. Strader didn't seem to care. He threw the safe doors opened and reached in, pulling out a small vial filled to the brim with green liquid.

"Perfect," he muttered and clasped the vial tightly in his hands before escaping the building.

Today, he had been an ordinary man who ran a small business dedicated to the research of viral diseases. Tomorrow, he'd be the one who controlled man-kind.


	2. Chapter One: The Anniversary

_**I'm not too fond of this chapter, but at least it's something, right? :)**_

_**REVIEW REPLIES:**_

_**-CrimsonEndings**_  
_**Haha! And I'm most certainly glad to be back! Thank you for the comment, Sis. Haha! I'm not sure the ending of today's chapter is like yesterdays. But future chapters. :) Hopefully my brilliant mind won't quit on me! Thank you for reading and reviewing, Sis! I appreciate it!**_

_**-Quadrophenia73**_  
_**Thank you! Yeah! I was excited to see you back on the boards! I love reading your stories! They're creative and you really know how to write for the characters! :D Thanks for reading and reviewing!**_

_**-NiekaWow**_  
_**Hey! Thank you so much! I checked out Last of Us now that you mentioned it and holy crap; that was probably the most intense intro to a zombie video game I have ever seen, and I have played my fair share of zombie games. You'll have to tell me how it goes because I'm considering buying it now! Thank you for the compliment! I really appreciate it! :) Also, thanks for reading and reviewing!**_

_**I hope you guys enjoy this chapter!**_

_**As always, thanks for your continued support and I hope you all have a wonderful rest of the week!**_

* * *

**Chapter One: The Anniversary**

When Natara asked me what I believed about parenthood, I didn't think she meant anything too serious…Until she mentioned that she was pregnant. It was a complete surprise at first. Natara seemed nervous and I knew I had to comfort her, so I put on a fake smile and held her close, exclaiming my new found desire of becoming a father. When she was asleep that same night, I called Ken and started panicking on the phone, asking my child-less friend for advice.

Nine months later, however, I changed my opinion on parenthood entirely as I held onto my new daughter. I was more than happy to raise a child, but was terrified of an existing problem; the virus. It had been two years since the virus had actually claimed reign on the nation and Kai was sure he had eliminated it, but something in my gut told me that the last infection wouldn't really be the last.

Five years later, I am celebrating the seventh anniversary surrounded by my close friends, my loving wife and daughter.

It was a clear summer's morning. I was sprawled across my bed as usual while Natara dressed for the day. Below our bedroom, activity of guests became audible. The entire group of Carriers –Zoey, Louis, Francis, Coach, Rochelle, Ellis, Nick, Kai, and Ken—were staying at our residence this year for the anniversary. Ken had brought along his girlfriend, Amy, and Nick brought his daughter Sami and his wife, Stella. I was surprised that I had been able to fit everyone inside my house without much conflict.

After pulling on her shirt, Natara strolled over to the bed and shook me gently. "C'mon, Mal," she said, her voice quiet and enticing. "You've got to get ready. Today's the big day!"

I groaned loudly and sat up. Natara smiled lightly at my slight bed-head and leaned down to kiss me, but pulled back quickly. "Don't forget to brush your…"

"Yeah, yeah," I responded. Slowly, I got out of bed and began to prepare for the day's activities. The Carriers, our daughter Katie, Amy, Sami, Stella and I were scheduled for a spot on the news today, regarding our contribution to the end of the infection and how we are coping today as we are constantly reminded of our impact through either hate or respect. It was the same process every year, as if the public had to be reminded that nearly all of America's population had been wiped out due to an infectious disease, and only seventy percent of that original number remained. I, personally, hated celebrating this day; it wasn't a day to be celebrated! Seven years ago, I had been killing off these infected people to survive. I was ending lives for the sake of my own, and being part of law enforcement, it went against my morals.

After the interview, the others and I would go down to lunch and try to hide from the public before visiting the President of the United States. (He usually flew out to where we were staying each year.) He was generally a cool guy and I respected him, but he was often personal with the questions and tried to get deeper into information that we didn't feel comfortable sharing. (Ex: "What would you have done if a loved one became infected?" "Do you think you did the right thing?")

After that interview, our day was over and we'd return to our base of operations for a home-made dinner by Rochelle and Coach and talk until midnight. I liked this part of the day the most.

Natara and I walked down into the kitchen area and were instantly greeted by the whole group.

"Mornin' Malachi!" Ellis called with a smile, his arm around Zoey's waist, though he wasn't making much progress due to her large stomach. Ellis and Zoey, soon to be parents, were probably the oddest couple I had ever seen. Zoey, a feisty, dark eyed, brunette, was strong in battle. She had led seven survivors from Louisiana all the way to the slums of San Francisco. She took hits like a man and often scared away the Infected due to her tough nature and well-developed skills with a weapon. Her father was the chief of police and that is why we connected so well.

As for Ellis, he was a sweet, protective hillbilly from Georgia. He had worked as a mechanic since his teen years and often talked about times he got in trouble with his best pal, Keith. Normally, you would believe that this blue-eyed, golden brown hair man was nothing more than a grown-up child, but when forced into the world of the infection, Ellis was at his best. He was a rough fighter, skilled with weapons aside from guns. He was a bit clumsy, but that didn't stop him from beating an infected being to death if it even looked at him or Zoey the wrong way.

"Nice to see you two are finally awake," Coach greeted with a smirk. "Rochelle cooked us up something nice this morning before we head on out."

Coach was a larger man than the rest. Dark skin and a well trimmed goatee, he was the muscle of the group. Before the Infection hit, he was a linebacker, but busted his knee pretty bad when he was younger, and ended up coaching high school football for several years to come. Along with Ellis, he too lived in Georgia and believed in family values. He lost his mother in the infection and relied heavily on her good spirit to uplift the group when times of trouble arose. He was well-skilled with his fists and with any object that could crush the skull of an unexpecting zombie.

Rochelle, a young, dark skinned reporter from Louisiana, was similar to Zoey. In one interview, she stated that because of her gender, she felt like she needed to be the head of the group that she had been leading before she met up with Zoey and her group. She isn't as strict and tough as Zoey, but does know how to become a leader when one is needed. Her skills focused mainly around being able to shoot a gun.

Nick sat at the table, cleaning a blade with his white suit jacket. He had never been the one to get too social with a group and was often a jerk when angry, but he was also one of the best fighters the team had. Dark haired and blue eyed, Nick led alongside Rochelle before the two groups of Carriers came together. He grew up in Vegas and knew how to win a good came of poker. He met Stella in Vegas, had a kid with her, married her, but then divorced shortly before the apocalypse began. Realizing that life was too short, he remarried his wife and they moved to Georgia where Zoey, Ellis, Coach, Rochelle, Louis and Francis were now living. Nick was skilled in close combat, but fared well with a pistol.

Francis seemed bored out of his mind, his head resting upon the table. Louis sat next to him, playing a game on his smart phone.

Francis was a biker who liked to live his life to a point where he nearly died everyday. He grew up in Philadelphia, but was often on the road with the love of his life; his motorcycle. While the infection had just begun, Francis found a girl and spent the night with her. When he woke up the next morning, he found her trying to gnaw his head off. After shooting her, he left the bar and stumbled across Louis and his gang and joined them in an effort to escape the infection. He is very protective over Zoey and was hesitant the day she married Ellis. He treated her like a sister in most ways and confessed a slight attraction after she had married Ellis, which soon dwindled into a friendly love. Francis is also skilled with close combat, though prefers using a gun when fighting a large group of infected people.

Louis was a dark skinned business kind of guy. Always dressed in a dress shirt and tie, Louis never failed to be on time to work. He often visited the shooting ranges before the apocalypse actually began, and became well acquainted with a gun. This skill helped him pull through the apocalypse when it became a reality for him the day he asked for a raise. Everyone in his company had turned on him and he pulled through. Louis at one point did have a sweetheart, but she was killed in the aftermath of the infection.

Ken whispered secrets into Amy's ear and she laughed and snuggled closer to her boyfriend. I had known Ken for a _long _time, but had recently gotten to know Amy better. She moved to San Francisco not too long after I joined the force and became the Data Analyst. She was quiet and well reserved, but give her any puzzle and she could solve it within a few minutes. The only time I ever saw my tough, seemingly-heartless, buddy Ken go all shy and stammer-y was when he was around Amy. The two were inseparable.

Kai sat on the counter, looking over Rochelle's shoulder and trying to sneak food off of a plate, but the reporter always caught on and whacked his hand. When I first met Kai, I found him living in a dumpster. He had moved to San Francisco to look for a job in the forensic science area when the infection hit and ruined those chances. He even applied for a position at the San Francisco Police Department where Ken, Amy and I worked, but never got a reply back. He was brilliant and could tell you a lot about a piece of evidence or a certain jungle animal, but he was just…Not the most serious human being you'd ever come across. I swear; Kai is partially insane. He cracks jokes during serious situations, even when his life is on the line and he often reveals too much about himself and other people. But if it hadn't have been for his solution to the epidemic, then I would probably be dead as well as several thousands of other people; billions maybe.

Katie, a spitting image of her mother, ran up to me and I pulled her into my arms and hugged her tight while Natara went around and started conversations with nearly everyone in the room. She was definitely something special and I was lucky enough to catch her.

She had come from Miami as an FBI Agent. She was bright, strong, and caring. I, as well as Ken and Kai, had found her living off of few supplies in a dilapidated hotel. She wasn't so hot at fighting the infection at first, but soon grew used to it. She had given up so much and I believed she deserved more. When I first saw her, I knew she was going to be someone special, not just to me, but our entire group. I didn't know I loved her until we sailed out to Alcatraz and spent that night together gazing at the moon. She looked so intently at its reflective light, as if analyzing it. She had also given me her blood so that I could beat the infection that had been coursing through my body and had taken my Carrier status.

"Breakfast is served!" Rochelle announced as she filled each plate with different delicacies passed down from her family. Casseroles filled with cheesy potato strips, bacon and deviled eggs. Everything looked so good and the smell was overpowering. Coach stood up to announce the need to thank God for another good year of living and we all obliged, despite many of us lacking religious beliefs. I rocked Katie gently, closing my eyes as Coach recited a prayer. As soon as the 'Amen' was uttered, I looked back up and smiled towards the group. Most were already heading towards the food, but Zoey returned my smile. She stood up, with some assistance from Ellis, and made her way towards me while Ellis continued towards the food. When she joined my side, she sighed heavily.

"To think," She began, "over seven years ago I was fighting for my life. I didn't think there was anyone else out there, and then I met you and your gang." She looked up at me. "Those were the worst years of my life."

"When were they ever good?" I replied.

"Well…Meeting you was good. Getting to know everyone here to a point where I can love them, but want to strangle them at the same time is also good." She placed her hands on her stomach and looked back to her husband, who had begun serving some of the food with a bright, contagious smile.

"He's a good guy, Zoe," I informed. "And he's going to be an amazing father."

Zoey laughed lightly. "I guess that was the reassurance I was looking for. Come on; let's get in on the good stuff before it's all gone." She walked off and I followed behind. Natara caught my glance and shot me a look that read, _Is everything okay?_

I replied with a smile. _Yeah…It's fantastic._


	3. Chapter Two: Interviews and the Undead

_**It's been awhile since I've updated at midnight. ^^'**_

_**REVIEW REPLIES:**_

_**-Quadrophenia73**_  
_**^^ I try! Thanks for reading and reviewing!**_

_**-NiekaWow**_  
_**I do NOT blame you! And it does! I was literally clawing at my screen when that one part happens with Sarah! It was just too painful, but it's amazingly written and the game itself just looks beautiful and the storyline is definitely something different than what I've played. ^^ And thank you! I'm so glad you're enjoying it! Thank you for reading and reviewing!**_

_**-Abbzcadabbz22**_  
_**Ooh! An Officer Diggs fan! Haha! Oh, I've enjoyed that series very much and it was difficult to let it go; but I'm so glad you liked it! It makes me feel a lot better about my writing style back then! ^^' And thank you for the compliment on this story! I hope you will enjoy it as much as I've enjoyed plotting and writing it! Thanks for reading and reviewing!**_

_**-The Beautiful Filth**_  
_**Thank you so much! And I really do like writing in Mal's POV, but it's so hard to get his character right! I feel like I'm...What's the word for it; where you make him seem like the perfect guy with his fair amount of Hollywood-Like flaws? I don't know, but that's what it feels like, so it's comforting to get a compliment about that! (Seriously though; If I am forcing Mal out of character, please inform me! Truth is, I haven't really been too into Cause of Death lately, so I'm losing grip on the character's personalities.) It has been awhile, hasn't it. ^^ And I'm excited to write the rest of it! (If I can kick my brain back into gear. School has really had it's toll on me that last term!) And considering she's only five...Well...I guess it's possible. She'd be one pretty Bad-A kindergartner. ^^ I'll consider it! Thanks for reading and reviewing! I appreciate it!**_

_**-Troubles In Paradise (I know you reviewed Cause 4 Death, but I figured you might be reading the sequel now, so here you go!)**_  
_**First off, I wanted to say that I didn't know you wrote 'The Illusion of Time'! I've really wanted to read that, but I've been so busy lately! It's on the top of my list of Fanfictions to read when I have spare time though! ^^**_  
_**Anyways, I just want to thank you for taking two entire hours just to catch up! To me, that really means a lot. And the fact that you really enjoyed it to, deserves another thank you from me! I re-read it awhile back to get ideas for this story, and wasn't too fond of it. But the fact that you enjoyed it (as well as many others) is comforting and I really, really appreciate that! And what can I say? Maltara is amazing! :D Thank you for reading and reviewing! Can't wait to see what you have to say about the sequel!**_

_**Woo! You guys really motivate me to update! It's almost one in the morning and I'm wide awake because I've been reading all of your reviews over again and considering I probably won't be asleep until five, I've run out of Castle episodes to watch, my dad left the WiFi on accidentally, and it's hot as Hades, I should probably update! **_

_**Not too fond of this chapter, but it is what it is! I really do like the next one though!**_

_**Again, I just want to thank each and every one of you guys! It really does mean a lot to me! I'll try to post again after I write a few more chapters!**_

_**Thanks again and I hope you all have a fantastic week!**_

_**Enjoy!**_

* * *

**Chapter Two: Interviews and the Undead**

We left the house right after breakfast and made our way to the news station. Our first year of attending these interviews in either Georgia or California resulted in many people crowding the news station, begging for autographs or pictures. Some had tried to push past guards that held the crowd back to punish us for killing a loved one. As the years passed, fewer people began to show up. This year, it was completely empty.

When we entered the station, a woman greeted us instantly. She was blonde and rather tall and slim. She was dressed formally; definitely a news reporter.

"There you are!" she called and started to shake hands with all of us. "It's an absolute honor to meet you all! I'm Tasha King, but you can call me Tasha or Tash. Whatever you find appropriate for the occasion."

"Tasha King, huh," Ken began. "Sounds familiar; any chance that we might know you?"

She only smiled in response and turned her back. "We need to hurry. We're on the air in a few minutes and we still have to get you settled!" She marched ahead and we all followed behind. Nick whispered something to Francis and he chuckled. Rochelle shot them a death glare and they fell silent. Ellis looked around the studio in awe.

"This place is much nicer than the studio we were at last year!" Ellis exclaimed. "I hope you offer doughnuts at this place, Miss."

"We just ate," Zoey reminded and he nodded.

"I know, Hun. But being in front of a camera makes me hungry sometimes."

"You make no sense," Nick muttered under his breath.

"I swear, if you two start a brawl like you did the last time we were here, I will wring both of your necks," Rochelle hissed. Tasha laughed.

"You guys are so charming!" she complimented; though I had a feeling she just wanted us to shut up. She directed us to main room, her lips pursed into a tight smile. People rushed about, either fixing cameras or makeup. Two reporters sat at a desk, a male and female. The woman sat still as someone touched up her makeup. The man talked quietly, making the woman smile. When she caught sight of us, she stopped the makeup artist and rushed to join us.

"You're here! Please, come and sit," she motioned towards several chairs set around the news table. "There aren't enough chairs, so we figured some of you wouldn't mind standing."

We all drifted towards the news desk. I allowed Natara to sit and I stood behind her, Katie jumping onto her lap. The others also sat down, some of the men arguing over who would sit in the remaining seats after they had so kindly given them up for the ladies. Louis and Nick won the verbal fight and they sat down while Francis stood directly behind Rochelle, Coach behind Nick, Ken behind Amy, and Ellis behind Zoey.

"We're on in 5…4…3…2…" the camera man pointed towards the reporters and they began with a cheery smile.

"Good morning San Francisco," the man greeted. "I am Derek Smith and this is Alexis Storm," he gestured towards the woman. "And today, as many of you may know, is the seventh anniversary of the apocalypse's end. We are gathered here today with the eleven survivors, as well as their family, to talk about this horrific event that affected their lives…Now tell me…How does it feel to be immortalized by hundreds upon thousands of victims of the apocalypse? Do you regret anything? Do you feel bad for murdering millions?"

I shouldn't have expected anything different from years previous. The reporters always prodded us. They picked the worse questions to ask and expected a decent answer from us.

"Well…" Ellis began, messing with his hair. "I…Uh…Guess I should feel heroic…"

"For killing millions?" Alexis asked and Ellis's eyes widened. He opened his mouth to disagree, but Nick took charge.

"Look, Lady. We've said this before; we sleep with a guilty conscious each night. We all get death threats because we killed someone's wife, husband, child, whatever! There are some people who cheer us on when we walk down the street, and then there are those who despise our existence. Heck, back in Georgia, Rochelle got jumped by a bunch of angry teens that wanted nothing more than to see her dead. For years, we couldn't get jobs because we were held accountable for murder, despite the fact that at the same time, we were rescuing a nation from impending Hell. I regret a lot of things, Lady, but I don't regret that year of fighting for my life so I could live in peace."

The room fell silent. Derek and Alexis looked shocked from Nick's sudden outburst. They recollected their standings and Alexis flashed a forced smile towards us.

"I have a question for Mal," she began and my chest tightened. This was usually the part where I got humiliated in front of the entire nation. "You're not a Carrier, right?"

I nodded slowly. "That would be correct."

"How did you manage to survive for weeks, but finally get shot down when you were in captivity?"

"Mal's a fighter," Zoey cut in with a smile, and I breathed in a sigh of relief. "Ever since I met him, he's done nothing but make sure his teammates were safe, before making sure he was safe. His actions count, not how long he survived before falling victim to the disease."

Derek nodded. "Even after seven years, you still won't reveal to us what happened that night and how you managed to pull through."

Natara reached over and gripped my hand in hers. I smiled and then faced Derek and Alexis. "What can I say; this team refuses to let me die."

The interview continued for another ten or so minutes; Derek asking about how we were coping now, and Ellis providing humorous stories of his days in Georgia with his pal, Keith.

"One last question for the group before you guys leave," Derek said with a smirk. He looked down in his notes, his smile slowly fading into a frown. He looked back at us and in a serious tone asked, "If the apocalypse were to happen again…Would you be ready?"

This was a new question. The Carriers and I tensed up upon hearing this question. We weren't ready for the first one…How on earth do they expect us to be ready for the second one?

"No comment," Louis grumbled underneath his breath and the rest of us nodded.

The two reporters nodded sheepishly and returned their gaze towards the cameras. "We like to thank the Carriers for dropping by today and we wish everyone a fantastic rest of the day," Alexis said and Derek nodded.

"God bless," he added and a bell rang, signifying the end of our segment. Those sitting stood up and we all flocked off the set. Francis was muttering nervously to Louis and he shared his opinion with Rochelle, who shook her head. As we all made our way to the door, Tasha King ran up to meet us.

"Wait up!" she called, and we obeyed her plea. "It was an honor to meet you all today."

"And it was great to be humiliated for the seventh year in a row," Nick scoffed and started out the door, Stella and Sami following. Rochelle rolled her eyes.

"It was great to meet you," she said and shook Tasha's hand.

"Yeah," Ken replied, also shaking the young reporter's hand. "Good luck with your job."

We finished exchanging our farewells and filed out the door. I was the last to leave, but Tasha stopped me.

"Sir…Are you really not ready for the next apocalypse?" she asked, grabbing my hand in an attempt to keep me grounded.

"Uh…Well…No one can predict…" I stumbled and she slowly released my hand.

"I get it," she mumbled and turned away. "Goodbye, Mal." And she left. Natara turned back, raising an eyebrow.

"What was that about?" she asked.

"I don't know…" I replied softly and picked up Katie. "Come on, we can't be late for our meeting with the president."

"Actually," Kai began, looking at his smart phone. "We may have to cancel that…"

"Why?" Zoey asked, trying to look over Kai's shoulder to read what he was looking at. "Did he finally get that we don't like being interviewed every…"

"He's dead," Kai interjected and we all came to a halt.

"Tell me you're kidding, Kalaba," Ken hissed and the scientist shook his head quickly.

"The Vice President sent me a text message and…"

"Wait," Coach growled, holding his hand up. "You have the Vice President's phone number?"

"Well…I kinda saved his life," Kai responded sheepishly. "But that's not what matters. The President didn't die of anything normal."

"Anything normal," Nick muttered, "What are you implying, Lab Geek?"

"See for yourself." Kai held up his phone so everyone could see the gruesome image sent by the Vice President himself. I covered Katie's eyes, Nick doing the same with Sami, and we gawked at what we saw. The President was sprawled across the floor of what appeared to be the Oval Office; definitely taken earlier this morning when he was still in DC. Bullet holes peppered his body as he laid face first into a pool of his own blood. His skin was a pale green, rotting in some areas. His suit had been torn along the back, probably caused by a struggle with someone who wanted to see him. We all knew what was happening.

"Not again," Coach muttered, "Please God, not again."


	4. Chapter Three: VOPA

_**Hey again!**_

_**REVIEW REPLIES:**_

_**-NiekaWow**_  
_**Please do! :D And thank you for the compliment! I really appreciate it! Thanks for reading and reviewing!**_

_**-The Beautiful Filth**_  
_**Heh, I like that a lot more than Strader! Professor S! I'll join you on that! And no worries! I don't mind at all! Thanks for reading and reviewing!**_

_**-Crimson Endings**_  
_**Hey! Well, everytime I try to get on the computer to do my Driver's Ed, writing becomes so much more enticing and...Let's say I may not have my drivers license for a LONG time. ^^' And Nick...What are we going to do with him? (At least he's not Oscar...Just sayin'.) Thanks, Sis! I really appreciate it! Thanks for reading and reviewing.**_

_**-AKgal2001 (I know you reviewed Cause 4 Death, but you did mention reading the sequel, so here's the reply!)**_  
_**Aww! ^^ Thank you so much for taking time to read Cause 4 Death! I'm glad it was worth it! And thanks for the compliment on my writing; I do try my best! Haha! My plan to make everyone hate Oscar seemed to have succeeded! Truthfully though, he's a pretty decent guy...Just not in that story. And making Shawn forget everything was hard to do. I didn't really want to let him go in that way because it seemed kind of...I dunno...Weak? Who knows, maybe he'll come back. ^^ Thank you so much for those kind words! You don't know how much they really mean to me! :D Thank you for taking the time to read Cause 4 Death and for reviewing! **_

_**You guys are fantastic, I hope you all know that! :D**_

_**Before I let you read, I realized that I am quite sucky when it comes to describing people. If you do want to see what these characters look like and how they dress (the ones from Left 4 Dead) you can find the video game intros on YouTube. You can also see some of the zombies that I will probably insert in the near future. However, I never actually got around to describing Stella or Sami, so I'm going to do that here!**_

_**Stella: A little shorter than Nick, around 5' 3". Blonde, wavy, almost tangle-like hair that falls onto her shoulders. She's not too thin, but she isn't overweight either. (I'm thinking Marilyn Monroe body type.) I guess you can imagine whatever clothes you want on her, since I never seem to get around to describing that either. **_

_**Sami: Like Nick, she has dark, raven hair. She is fourteen in this story. Around 5' 2", blue eyes. I imagine her hair to be fairly long, but it's always tied back in a pony tail. She has the average weight of a 14 year old.**_

_**Hopefully that clears some things up! **_

_**Thanks for reading!**_

_**Enjoy!**_

* * *

**Chapter Three: VOPA**

We didn't bother staying out in the open. Holding our loved ones tight, we rushed home and fled to the basement, where Natara and I kept a small bunker built just big enough for all fourteen of us. It was completely soundproof. It blocked out any kind of signal for top of the line privacy. It was the only place we could go to talk about an upcoming infection.

"We need to evacuate," Zoey announced. "There's no point in staying in San Francisco now."

"Or the States, for that matter," Coach agreed quietly.

Zoey nodded and Nick spoke up.

"But what about everyone else?" he asked, holding his wife close to him. (Sami and Katie were in mine and Natara's room.) "I know we all want to book it as fast as we can, but there are people out there who, sure as Hell, do not want to relive the apocalypse."

"Zoey's right," Kai spoke up. We all turned to look at him and he gulped. "Well…She is. As far as I know, we Carriers are at risk as well. We were safe during the first infection because of our blood. But now that our blood has been introduced into the virus, it has become much stronger; strong enough to infect the healthiest of Carriers. We can send out a warning, but we need to evacuate ourselves first, considering we're the only ones able to combat the disease."

"Where do we go, though?" Francis growled, trying to push Louis and Coach away so he could have more elbow room. "I don't want to revisit CEDA, and I am not allowed to leave the country."

Louis raised an eyebrow and turned to his friend. "All charges were dropped when the infection subsided. What on earth did you do?"

"Doesn't matter," Francis replied coldly. "All I'm wondering is where we're going to go that isn't CEDA and outside the country."

"VOPA," Kai muttered.

"VO-What?" Ellis asked and Kai smiled.

"VOPA; the Viral Outbreak Protection Agency," he repeated. "It's a new agency founded by CEDA, but ran by the company I work for. They have a little base on the outskirts of Los Angeles. We're building one in Louisiana next year, but the one in LA is perfect. It's created just for a disaster like this. Dr. Strader said so himself!"

"Dr…Strader?" Nick asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Isn't he that dude Kai gave his blood to?" Ken asked.

"Yeah," Natara replied, regaining her memory of this event. "And Nick, you shot the guy's wife."

"From the looks of her," Nick growled, "I saved him from marriage." He received a punch in the ribs from Stella and he gasped in pain. "Not that it isn't great being married to you, Hon. It's just that guys wife looked like a total bi…"

"I'll call Dr. Strader and see if he can get us into the VOPA camp," Kai interrupted and made his way to the door. "If I were you guys, I'd start packing ASAP."

-C.O.D-

"Why are we leaving?" Katie asked, sitting upon her bed as I packed her suitcase, Natara handing me her belongings.

"Uh," I began, scratching the back of my head, and then turned to face Natara. "Why are we leaving, Mom?"

She rolled her eyes and threw a stuffed animal at me. "We're just going on a little vacation for awhile, Sweetheart."

Katie nodded slowly. "Is everyone else coming, too?"

"Of course," I replied and placed the thrown stuffed animal into the suitcase and zipped it shut. "Think of it as a family vacation. Uncle Ellis will be there, Aunt Zoey, Aunt Rochelle, Uncle Louis…Everyone."

"Is this about the zombies?" Katie asked quietly and Natara and I froze. We had a silent battle before Natara cleared her throat and sat next to Katie on one side and me on the other.

"Katie," Natara began slowly, carefully choosing her words, "Whatever it is that drives us from our home, whether it be zombies, really bad people, the government…Just know that Daddy and I would never let anything hurt you. You have nothing to worry about."

"Your mother is right," I added with a smile, pulling my daughter into a one-armed hug. Natara shot me a look that clearly read, "_Is that the best you can do?_"

A knock at the door jolted the three of us out of our family moment. "Come in!" Natara called and Kai poked his head through.

"Hey Fallons," he greeted with a cheery smile; as if we weren't facing impending doom. "I couldn't contact Strader, but some of my lab buddies managed to arrange a ride for us. I told them we were just inspecting the area to give it our stamp of approval."

"That's great," Natara replied and stood up. "When will they be here?"

"In thirty minutes," Kai answered. "You three are the last to confirm that you've packed."

"Can you give us a minute?" Natara replied and the scientist nodded slowly before catching onto what we were saying.

"Oh! Yeah! Family time! I get it!" He slowly shut the door and we waited until his footsteps faded down the hallway.

"Daddy…" Katie began and I sighed.

"C'mon," I said and picked her up in my arms. Natara grabbed her suitcase and we exited her room, for what we feared may be the last time.

-C.O.D-

"Easy now, Zoe," Ellis said, removing her duffel bag from her arms. "We can't have ya stressing the baby out."

"I'm fine, Ellis," Zoey muttered. "I'm not incapacitated. I can carry my own bag." She made a grab for her suitcase, but Rochelle stopped her.

"Ellis is right, Sweetie. You're about ready to burst and the last thing we need is complications."

"But if you want to carry a bag, you can have mine!" Kai called and Ellis shot him a glare.

"Don't encourage her to do somethin' crazy, alright? Knowing her, she'll actually do it," he muttered, and received a punch from Zoey, causing him to drop her bag. "Ow!"

"I hate being pregnant," she growled under her breath and crawled into the SUV sent to lead us to the VOPA camp. Rochelle sighed and crawled in after her.

Two, large, black, 9-seat SUV's were sent by Kai's company to accommodate 15 passengers. I was sharing a car with Natara and Katie of course, but also Ken, Amy, Ellis, Zoey and Rochelle. Nick, Sami, Stella, Louis, Francis, Coach, and Kai would be traveling in the other SUV. Within six hours, we would be arriving in Los Angeles.

Once each car was loaded with our belongings, we set off. I'll admit; it was really difficult driving away from my home. If worse came to worse, I wouldn't see my colleagues for a long time. I wouldn't be able to visit my sister, her kids, or keep searching for my dad. He was labeled as a missing person once the infection blew over, but I knew he was still alive and I knew he was out there being himself…And probably searching for me too. It was nice to think, at least.

The sun was starting to set across the horizon, casting warm shades of red, orange and yellow across the darkening sky. Katie sat between Natara and I in the back, anxiously moving about in her seat. Natara wrapped her arm around her and pulled her close, hushing her into calmness. She always did her best to set Katie into a state of peace. I felt awful watching her go through these mild panic attacks, because I didn't know how to help her. While Natara did her best to rock her, I looked towards the others in the van.

In the front, next to the driver, were Amy and Ken. You couldn't see it, but you knew he was holding her hand, squeezing it in reassurance that everything was going to be okay. She placed her head on his shoulder and he kissed the top of her head. On the middle bench, Ellis sat in the middle, Zoey and Rochelle on either side. Zoey was glaring out the window, obviously still upset over not being able to carry her own bag. Ellis looked a little flustered, as if he were trying to come up with a way to apologize. Rochelle was writing in a notebook. It looked like she was jotting notes, but the way she hesitated on each line, looking out the window, then to everyone in the car, suggested that she was writing a journal entry.

I looked back to Natara, now cradling a sleeping Katie. She looked to me and mouthed, "_Are you okay?_"

I shook my head slightly and mouthed back, "_You?_"

She also replied by shaking her head. "_I'm scared, Mal._"

"_I know…Me too._"


	5. Chapter Four: The Colonists

_**I feel like I definitely could have done something better with this chapter...**_

_**REVIEW REPLIES:**_

_**-HopelessRomantic1994**_  
_**Thank you so much! And no worries! I'm glad you're enjoying it! And The Last of Us looks so amazing! I cannot wait until I own a copy! :D Thanks for reading and reviewing; I appreciate it!**_

_**-Crimson Endings**_  
_**One day, in the near future, I will make you change your mind about Nick! :D I do too; writing for those three is just so much fun! :D Heh, I just wish I knew what the entire future for them consists of. ^^' Writer's Block is just fabulous! Thanks for reading and reviewing, Sis! :D**_

_**-The Beautiful Filth**_  
_**Thank you! I was going for that! :D And I hope so too! ^^' Thanks for reading and reviewing!**_

_**-mozzi-girl (The Beast!)**_  
_**Hey! It's nice to hear from you again! No worries! Oh my...Are you alright? Again, don't worry about it; you had more important things to do and I completely understand that! I hope you're doing fine though! **_  
_**I'm glad you're enjoying it! And of course Kemy is in it! I love Kemy almost as much as I love Maltara. ^^ Thanks for reading and reviewing! :D**_

_**-NiekaWow**_  
_**Hehe! Thanks! I do try my best! :D Thanks for reading and reviewing!**_

_**-Lauren (Alright, I know you reviewed Hostage and that's a completely different story, but I had no other way of replying to you, other than through this!)**_  
_**I actually do have a sequel for Hostage...In fact...I have TWO more stories after Hostage; Minion and Family Relations! Family Relations is the final story though, and I have already told myself that I'm done with that series, but who knows...Sometimes my brain won't stop generating alternate endings and new stories! Thank you for reading that series and especially thank you for reviewing it and getting excited for a sequel! :D**_

_**Anyways...I'm sorry about the slight delay. ^^' My cousins are in town and I've been hanging out with them for the past few days. Also, I am facing a bit of writer's block, but I managed to stumble across some notes I took about this story awhile back and I may or may not have solved my problem. We'll see about that.**_

_**And another note, since I just love taking up space with incredibly long introductions. (Sorry!) I do bring in a few Colonists from The Colony and again, everything they do is fiction. If I do mention an event that actually took place (outside of the show, The Colony) then I'll be sure to say so, but until then, keep this in mind.**_

_**And finally, next week, Tuesday-Friday Morning, I'll be *sigh* camping. I'll try to post again on either Friday Afternoon/Evening, or sometime Saturday or Sunday. **_

_**Thank you for everything, guys! This really does mean a lot to me!**_

_**I hope you have a wonderful week, and enjoy!**_

* * *

**Chapter Four: The Colony**

We arrived at the VOPA camp in the middle of the night. I expected something much grander than just a giant, old, warehouse surrounded by abandoned buildings. The air smelled lightly of rotting flesh. The Carriers and I were used to it, but the others (Amy, Sami, Stella, and Katie) gagged and covered their noses. This was going to be a lot harder for them than I thought it would be.

As soon as we finished unloading, the SUV's rushed away, leaving us with no way to travel back to San Francisco, or leave for that matter. Kai observed the hideout with a grin. "Isn't she beautiful?" he asked us and Nick scoffed loudly.

"When you said VOKA had a place for us," he growled, "I thought you meant something similar to what CEDA offered."

"It's VOPA," Kai corrected, "and we created it to replicate the apocalypse so we can get used to the conditions before hand! Strader came up with the idea himself."

"Are there any showers?" Stella asked, her hand still covering her nose.

"It's a freakin warehouse in the middle of nowhere," Nick replied. "Do you really expect there to be a freakin shower?"

"How long are we staying," Zoey asked, her hands on her stomach. We all knew the reason she brought this up.

"Until the infection blows over," Kai replied. "Could be weeks…Months…Another year?"

"I am not having my baby here," Zoey growled. "You know how many other viruses linger here? Sure, the Infection might not be here…Yet, but there are still a million other things that could take our lives."

"She's right, ya know," Ellis replied. "I mean, a baby's immune system isn't fully functional. I don't want to lose my kid right after I get him."

Kai sighed and looked around the landscape. The place was a ghost town; no signs of life anywhere. Even if there were other people here for some other reason, I figured they wouldn't be too welcoming.

"I'm tired," Rochelle sighed. "Can we just move into our new home and get some shut eye."

Kai nodded and began leading the group ahead, briefing us on the area. "It's completely abandoned, so there may be some resources in the other houses for us to collect."

"Wait…You mean you never stocked the warehouse up?" Coach asked and the scientist nodded.

"We wanted a challenge…"

Nick scoffed even louder than he had before. "A challenge? ISN'T THE FREAKIN APOCALYPSE ENOUGH OF A CHALLENGE?"

"Keep your voice down," Ken snapped. "We still don't know if there are any hostile civilians living here."

"There shouldn't be," Kai assured, "Although…"

"Although what?" Francis growled.

"Some TV company wanted to hold a little game show here. It was a survival of the fittest thing. I think they're done though."

"They better be," Nick replied coldly. "I am not sharing a room with any stranger."

As we got closer to the warehouse, an eerie feeling settled upon our group. Our pace slowed and we silenced ourselves. Large, chain-linked fences protected the warehouse from intruders. Kai pulled out a key, unlocked it and ushered us inside. That's when we heard some hushed voices that weren't our own.

"…In the grounds…"

"…I'll talk…"

"…I'll defend you…"

"I don't think we're alone," Louis whispered and I reached for my side arm, Ken following my lead. We were the only ones who had our weapons readily available.

"Stay behind us," I commanded the group as Ken and I moved forward, raising our weapons. That must've scared the mysterious civilians because one shouted,

"Holy…THEY HAVE GUNS!"

Instantly, Ken and I were tackled to the ground by two guys that jumped from the shadows. The guy on top of me was pretty young. He had dark, crazed eyes and messy black hair. He was beginning to grow a beard and looked severely underweight. Despite his frail appearance, he was tough. He pinned my arms to the ground and removed my firearm, kicking it to the side. I brought my knee up into his gut and he doubled over. I leaped to my feet and kicked him backwards. Ken had managed to pin his attacker to the ground, wrapping his arms behind his back. His attacker looked as though he hadn't eaten in weeks. He had tan skin, silver and black hair, and dark eyes. He was older than my attacker, but only by a few years.

"Who are you?" I demanded. The man held his stomach, wincing in pain. When he didn't answer, I raised my voice. "WHO ARE YOU?"

"Joey," he answered between struggled breaths. "What…Are you doing in…Our home?"

"Your home?" Rochelle asked, stepping forward. "You guys live here?" But Kai, I thought you said…"

The man Ken had tackled laughed cruelly. "Of course we live here, Princess? Where else do you think we'd live in this dump? The warehouse is our home, and you guys are intruders."

"_Oh great,_" I thought. "_Another Nick._"

"Intruders…" Kai muttered and his face widened with realization. "Oh! That's right! You guys are the colonists! I'm Kai Kalaba, co-creator of the VOPA camp. What are you guys still doing here? The season ended weeks ago…"

"I am not talking until your gorilla lets me go!" the man underneath Ken's hold snarled. Ken sighed heavily and stood up, releasing the man, who then jumped to his feet and backed away from us. Joey followed his lead, glaring at each and every one of us. His gaze softened though when they fell upon Sami, Katie, and Zoey.

"You're right," the man replied gruffly. "The season did end weeks ago and we were supposed to be out of here. But the camera crew abandoned ship. They left us to die out here." The man clenched his fists tightly. "They took George from us and then decided to leave us to die! We're all sick, tired, and we want to go home, but there's no way for us to leave."

"I don't think going home is an option," Nick replied. He faced the group. "Should we tell them?"

Zoey nodded. "They're already here. We might as well warn them."

"Warn us of what?" Joey asked and Nick proceeded to explain.

"This morning, the President of the United States was shot and killed."

"That's awful," Joey replied and Nick shook his head.

"That's not the awful part. The real awful part was the reason why. You remember what happened seven years ago, correct? Or at least…You've heard."

"Of course we know," the man standing next to Joey snarled. "The zombie apocalypse happened. Millions died and the nation's population dropped dramatically."

"What does this have to do with the President being killed?" Joey questioned, raising an eyebrow.

"It's happening again," Rochelle cut in. "Someone or something infected the President and he was shot by the Vice President to most likely save the others in the White House from becoming infected."

"However," Kai continued, "from the looks of the President's body, there was a struggle. He could have spread the infection through a bite, cut, or even the smallest drop of saliva. Someone is already carrying the Infection and it won't be long before it spreads and overtakes the United States again."

"Can't you guys just donate blood again?" Joey asked. "Thanks, by the way."

Coach shook his head sadly. "I'm sorry, Brother. Even we, as Carriers, are at risk of catching the virus. It's much stronger than it was before."

"Which is why we transferred ourselves to this VOPA camp," Ken concluded. "But we didn't know it was inhabited. Sorry about the guns, by the way. It's a…Force of habit."

"You're gonna have to find a different camp," the man growled. "We're running out of resources, and we barely have enough room for ourselves."

"Mike," Joey sighed, turning to the man. "We can't just turn them away. They have kids and one of them is pregnant."

Mike rolled his eyes. "Remember the last time we let someone in? They destroyed our resources. We nearly died. Just because one of them is about to have a baby and there are two kids, doesn't change my mind at…"

"Is everything alright out here?" a woman called, rushing to join the two men. She was tall, thin, blonde, very grimy, and she had a short pole in one hand. She eyed our group suspiciously before turning to her team mates.

"Allison, this lot thinks that they can join us just because they're associated with VOPA," Mike accused.

"And I think since they have kids and are in need of shelter, we let them join us, at least for a little bit," Joey argued.

"And I disagree with Joey because of that incident we had the last time we allowed someone to stay with us," Mike added, folding his arms across his chest.

The woman, Allison, examined our group once more, before speaking up. "I don't know, Mike. They don't seem that harmful to me. Plus, aren't they the same guys who found the cure to the Infection? It's kind of hard to say no to the people who rescued my life."

Mike shook his head and turned away. "Fine! But if they steal any of our food, don't come cryin' to me, and don't expect me to fix it either!" And with that stated, he stormed off, back into the warehouse.

Allison rolled her eyes and smiled towards us. "So, it really is you guys!" She shook our hands. "It's an honor to meet you guys. What brings you to the VOPA camp?"

"Al," Joey cut in, "they say it's going to happen again; the apocalypse."

Allison's smile vanished instantly. "What? You're joking, right?"

I shook my head. "I'm afraid not. The President was shot and killed this morning before he was able to fly out to San Francisco. He was infected with the same virus that overtook America seven years ago. Since the Carriers' blood is no longer effective against the Infection, we decided to evacuate to the VOPA camp. We'll be safe here until we can figure out what to do."

"You guys, of course," Kai began, "are welcome to join us. We could use some extra help."

Allison nodded slowly. "Alright," she said and turned to Joey. "Go tell the others to make room for our guests. Also, reassure them that they have no intention of stealing anything. We will offer our services to them, and they will do the same."

Joey nodded. "Yes, Ma'am." He turned on his heel and made his way to the warehouse. Allison returned her attention towards us.

"You have my permission to use our home as if it were your own," she said. "But there are some rules."

"Of course," Zoey agreed and the rest of us nodded.

"We do not tolerate drama within our team," Allison stated. "Any drama will resort in punishment. Since we are facing an epidemic now, we will be forced to quarantine each and every one of you. We'll do that in the morning. Quarantine consists of a 12-hour captivity hold, and then a check-up following. Once it is proved that you are safe to reenter our society, you are free to do whatever as long as it doesn't interfere with any of our projects. We expect you to pull your own weight and help provide for our colony. If we find out that you are hiding wanted resources from the group, that'll also resort in punishment. We are a team here, though we may not be friends. The kids will have to be kept under constant surveillance. It is very dangerous in the warehouse and the last thing we need is someone getting hurt."

"What about Zoe?" Francis asked and Ellis nodded.

"Yeah, sorry to interrupt you, Miss," he began, "but my wife," he gestured towards Zoey, "is…"

"I'm a trauma nurse. Though my skills don't exactly fit into those of an obstetrician, I would be more than happy to make sure your baby is healthy when it comes into this world."

Zoey nodded. "Thank you."

Allison smiled. "That's about it. I'll help you all get settled in." She walked ahead and we followed behind. "Oh! And welcome to the Colony."


	6. Chapter Five: Quarantine

_**Hello!**_

_**REVIEW REPLIES:**_

_**-NiekaWow**_  
_**You can do it! I believe in you! And I am very proud of you! ^^ **_  
_**Thank you so much for the compliment! :D I'm glad you're enjoying it! Thanks for reading and reviewing!**_

_**-The Beautiful Filth**_  
_**Me too! She was definitely my favorite Colonist in the show. ^^ I like your idea of a relationship between Nick and Allison, but it would have to be more friendly than romantic, considering Nick is married with a daughter. ^^' But I'll definitely consider doing something like that. :D**_  
_**Thank you! It's just been a little more difficult writing lately, so I'm constantly doubting myself and trying to overwork on a chapter. But thanks for the reassurance! I'll keep that in mind!**_  
_**Thanks for reading and reviewing! :D**_

_**-AKgal2001**_  
_**Thank you! :D And I actually haven't! I've seen Tobuscus play the intro, but that's about it! It looks amazing though; especially the graphics! I love it when I can't tell if the characters are real or not. ^^ And I love Naughty Dog! They also created my favorite series, Jak and Daxter! They're absolutely fantastic!**_  
_**Thank you so much for reading and reviewing!**_

_**-mozzi-girl (The Beast)**_  
_**Hehe! Thank you! :D And I'm so glad you're okay! I've never actually had a kidney stone, but my mom has and...Well, she wasn't too pleasant during those few days. ^^' Anyways...**_  
_**Thank you for reading and reviewing! I appreciate it!**_

_**So, this is most likely the last chapter I'll post until either Saturday, Sunday, or just next week in general. Then again, I may post tomorrow if I can get over my writer's block. Hopefully this camping trip provides me with new ideas. ^^' After all, Kensley (some of you may know her) is going to be there and she provides me with an endless amount of ideas. ^^**_

_**You guys are amazing and I can't wait to post more! :D**_

_**Thank you and enjoy!**_

* * *

**Chapter Five: Quarantine**

The warehouse looked a lot more appealing on the inside, though not as comforting as the CEDA base had been. The place looked as if it were nearing its last days. The concrete floor was dirty and cracked. It even had a small bloodstain near an area cordoned off by orange traffic cones. Rusted walls guarded dark, smaller rooms. The only light source appeared to be in the main room, strung up in the rafters and creeping up poles like vines overtaking an abandoned lot. The smell was overpowering; like ten people hadn't showered in a month or two. They all stood in silence, watching us very closely and making sure their projects weren't interfered with. Joey and Mike were standing side-by-side, arms folded across their chests and scowls upon their grimy faces.

A much older man stepped away from his workstation, littered with little machine bits and scraps of paper bearing measurements that were too advanced for my knowledge. His white hair stuck up in places and a scraggly beard reaching just above his chest. He didn't look like much of a threat, but I still didn't like his advancing towards us. I pulled Katie closer. "Are these them?" the man asked and Allison nodded.

"The Carriers," she replied, with a slight grin. She then proceeded to clap her hands together, regaining the attention of the others inside the warehouse. "Alright, listen up! I know most of you will not like it, but these people are welcomed guests! They have agreed to help us out and will be quarantined first thing in the morning. Right now, they need a room to stay in. Considering we all have huge projects that need completing, we will be giving up our bedrooms to suit their needs."

"Why don't we just give them the warehouse," Mike scoffed loudly. "Might as well, since we're allowing them inside our base of operations."

The older man shook his head. "You shouldn't talk like that, Michael. These are the same people who discovered the cure."

"Actually," Kai cut in. "I discovered the cure. These guys are just my accessories."

"Boy," Rochelle hissed, "I am _this _close to slapping the sense out of you?"

"Besides," Ken cut in, "you started in a dumpster. If it hadn't have been for Mal and I, your sorry butt would be dead."

Kai opened his mouth, ready to argue, but Mike's groan stopped him. "Al…I really don't want these guys sharing a warehouse with us. If they're going to be like this the whole time, I would rather get infected than have to deal with this."

Allison turned to us. "I did warn you of in-group drama. Please…Try to maintain good behavior. I'll lead you to your guys' rooms." She motioned for us to start following her and we obeyed. I took one last look at everyone before we were engulfed by the darkness of a medium-sized room. Every single one of them looked upset in some way. Some of them continued working, and some whispered. Mike, however, kept his glare fixated on us.

"He's the alpha here," Natara whispered. "At least, he thinks he is."

"Makes sense," I replied, just as quietly. "What about that Joey guy? What did you get from him?"

Before Natara could reply, Allison cleared her throat. Natara and I faced forward and she nodded. "Are you done?" she asked.

We both nodded slowly and she continued. "Good. I'm sorry there isn't any light here. We tore down some stuff for resources. There are a couple of flashlights around here. You are welcome to take our bed. We'll be keeping watch for tonight." She turned to exit, but Ellis stopped her by speaking up.

"Thank you, Miss," he called. "It is greatly appreciated!"

Allison smiled lightly, before continuing back into the main area. There weren't any doors, so the sudden bustle of machines whirring to life and footsteps going back and forth were not blocked out. We all settled into the large bed stretched across the wall, some of us using sleeping bags we had brought ourselves. Natara and Katie took refuge in the bed and I set my sleeping bag on the floor in front of them them. She kept insisting that I took her spot, but I denied every time. I wasn't planning on sleeping tonight, to be honest. As soon as I stepped into the warehouse, I was reminded that I was facing a new threat that could potentially take away the people I cared about the most. None of us were immune this time, and that was the scariest part of it all.

The others fell asleep, or at least were faking it, almost instantly. I tried to spot someone that was awake that I could talk to, but I was without luck. Sleep did eventually find me, but it didn't bring anything pleasant.

-C.O.D-

_I knew it was a bad day from the start. The sky was darkened, I was forced to wear a mask, and a lot of the people I had once known had become infected. Ken was left, which I was very grateful for, but everyone else –Bartaugh, Yeong, Willis, and so many more—was gone. The department was granted with a new commissioner, at least until Yeong was free of the virus. The commissioner was always on our case about arriving to work in our masks and showering as soon as we got there. We were forced to wear uncomfortable HAZMAT suits to protect us and others from the virus. Ken and I liked to joke about it to ease away some of the humiliation, but it was never enough to put me in a peaceful state of mind._

_The day Ken and I found Kai was the day we nearly died._

_We had arrived to work earlier than usual. After going through standard protocol and in those ridiculous HAZMAT suits, we went to the commissioner's office to ask where we were going for our Search-And-Rescue for the day. (We had been assigned to scope out San Francisco and capture any survivors for cleansing offered by CEDA.) The commissioner was fine at first. He was giving us our route when suddenly, he collapsed onto the ground, hacking and coughing; the way I had when I contracted the virus at CEDA HQ. Ken and I rushed to assist him, but he had already turned and was slashing toward us. I grabbed my firearm and shot him in the shoulder before Ken and I took a run for it. The whole department had gone crazy. People that we had locked in Interrogation Rooms were pounding the glass, trying to break out. We barely managed to make it out, running into a back alley to gather our stolen breaths. _

_We heard a rustle coming from inside a dumpster. Thinking it was another infected person, Ken and I both raised our weapons, anticipating the monster's entrance. We were surprised to see Kai crawling out instead. He had a gun clipped to his side and he was telling us to hold our fire. Ken and I pulled him from the dumpster and he told us about himself. _

_Soon after, we set out to find more survivors. We stumbled across a hotel and I urged my new team to help me search the place. Thank goodness I did, or I would have never found Natara._

-C.O.D-

I jolted awake at the sound of Mike's voice.

"Alright," he snarled. "I want each and every one of you to get up and out of the warehouse. There's a white VOPA tent set out just for you guys. Your quarantine will start as soon as everyone is in, and will end in twelve hours! At that time, Allison will be performing a basic medic check."

Most of the Carriers had gotten up and started to clear up their things. I looked to Natara, who was trying to calm down Katie from another arising panic attack. I stood and stretched before getting back down and rolling up my sleeping bag. Mike continued to bark orders.

"If any of you show signs of fever, you will not be allowed to rejoin us for another forty-eight hours until we know for sure you're not Infected. After you are allowed to rejoin society, you will instantly be asked to help out around the warehouse. No one will be sitting around and doing nothing…Except for the pregnant one. Allison will kill me if I force you to work."

Zoey huffed loudly and continued to help Ellis with his sleeping bag.

"No more dilly-dallying," Mike called out. "Let's get moving!"

With our belongings at our sides, we followed Mike outside where, sure enough, a large, white, canvas tent was set up. _VOPA _was printed along all four sides.

Inside was just as plain as the outside. The room was cut in half by a plastic, see-through divider that only rose about three feet off the ground. A couple of chairs were set out and a few mattresses on our side. We threw down our bags and took a seat as Mike zipped up the tent behind us. Following that, Allison appeared on the other side of the divider, wearing a similar HAZMAT suit to the ones Ken and I had grown familiar with during the first Infection. She had a large pot filled to the brim with what looked like oatmeal. "Hey guys," she greeted, her voice muffled by the helmet. "I brought breakfast."

"Thank goodness!" Ellis called out and rushed to the divider. "I thought we were going to go through quarantine without food. I would have been one very angry hillbilly."

Allison laughed. "Don't get too excited; the stuff we cook tastes awful due to our lack of resources."

"Any food is good food!" Ellis replied.

As we received our meal, Allison pried for more knowledge of the apocalypse. She wasn't as pushy, but she did cross over a few lines. Nick had to tell her that we were done asking questions in order for us to take a break from remembering the worst parts of our lives. She left us after we had eaten and we all sat together, some of us taking the chairs, some taking the mattress, and some on the floor. Zoey insisted on letting Sami take her chair, but Nick stopped her.

"Zoe, one of these days," he began, "you gotta realize that you cannot do everything you used to be able to do."

"I'm not weak," Zoey growled in response. "Your daughter looks tired and I don't mind taking one for the team and sitting on the ground."

Nick threw his head back and groaned. "Augh! You're so whiny!"

Zoey mocked Nick. "Augh! You're so annoying!"

"Not even an hour into quarantine," I grumbled, "and you two are already at each others throats."

"You stay out of this," Nick barked to me. "This is a Carrier's fight only."

My face burned. It seemed as if that had become a better insult than anything else Nick's mind could come up with. Truth be told, it is. I still couldn't believe how any of it happened. I had been mauled by zombies and obtained enough scratches to kickstart the Infection process…And I was okay. The only time I wasn't was when I was safe inside a quarantined area. That was the last place I expected to become infected.

"We really need to just calm down," Louis replied loudly enough to get everyone's attention. Nick scoffed.

"What we really need is for this Infection thing to be a rumor or a prank," he said.

"Speaking of," Rochelle muttered and pulled out her phone. "We probably should warn CEDA to…"

"No way, Princess," Francis hissed. "We are not bringing CEDA and that snooty Latino guy back into our lives. They'll have us caged up like animals!"

"If anyone, we should warn VOPA," Kai stated. "In fact, I'll call Strader and ask him to start evacuating places most likely to contract the virus, starting with DC." Kai pulled out his phone and began his call seconds later. He stepped aside to talk privately and the rest of us continued to chat.

"I wonder how that Oscar fellow is," Ellis wondered aloud. "I bet he got his job back as a lawyer."

"He started up his own firm," Natara cut in. I gave her look and she shrugged. "He was one of the only survivors we ever came in contact with. It would be rude to not keep in touch."

"Did you do the same with your psycho ex?" Nick questioned and Natara shook her head.

"He doesn't remember me; what's the point?"

Kai came back towards us, pocketing his phone. "Well, I have good news and I have bad news. Which do you want to hear?"

"Bad news," Amy called out. "I much rather follow up with something good."

Kai nodded. "Well, Strader confirmed that the president is really dead and has indeed been killed because of the virus. The vice president is currently in holding and so is pretty much everyone else who has had contact with him in the last twenty-four hours."

"What about the good news?" Coach asked.

"As soon as Strader discovered that we were facing the virus once more, he already sent out evacuation orders to the residents of DC, San Francisco, Miami, as well as a majority of the population from Pennsylvania and Georgia. VOPA has also replaced CEDA in terms of taking care of victims of the virus, but CEDA is settling evacuation procedures."

"They just can't keep their hands off of anything, can they?" Louis grumbled.

"Strader also mentioned that we cannot go out and eliminate zombies. In fact, no one is allowed to shoot."

I stood up. "What? Does this Strader guy even know what we're dealing with? DC is currently shut down, which leaves America leaderless."

"Actually," Kai cut in, "Since Dr. Strader is the president of VOPA, he has taken leader position! We're going to be saved!"

"But he just ordered us not to shoot," Nick snarled. "What if a zombie is trying to kill Stella or Sami? Do you just expect me to sit back and wonder if they'll make it out alive? I'm popping a bullet the moment that zombie looks at them."

Zoey smiled. "It's nice to see the non-jerkish side of you every so often, Nick."

Nick rolled his eyes. "It's not like everyone else is thinking the same thing. The moment any of your guys' life is in danger, there will always be someone there to get you out. I'm sorry Lab Geek, but I do NOT like this boss of yours."

"I'm sure he has a reasonable explanation…" Kai began, but Francis scoffed loudly.

"Reasonable? You don't think he's doing this just because Nick shot his wife, do you?"

Natara nodded slowly. "It is possible. I mean, we'd have to know Strader a little more to profile him like that, but in the few moments that I've known the man, he didn't show signs of aggression. I mean, he mourned the loss of his wife, but he was back on his feet within a few weeks."

"Yeah," Kai agreed. "Strader's a pretty cool guy."

"Still," Nick growled, "I ain't letting my pistol out of my sight until this blows over."

The rest of the twelve hours flew by without much excitement. We tried not to squabble as much as we normally would have, and by the end of it, we were too tired to do much.

Allison stuck her head in and smiled. "Hey guys," she called. "Your time is up! Mind if I check you all?"

When I stood from sitting on the concrete, I could barely hold my stance. I was sore from being in the same position for several hours, and so were the others, even if they did sit on the mattress or a chair. Katie reached for my hand and I gripped hers tightly. She leaned into my side and we slowly made our way through the line.

All of us were fever-free, thank goodness. I couldn't stand another five minutes in that tent, much less, forty-eight additional hours.

"I hope you guys aren't hungry," Mike called. He was working outside on a rusty car, tearing away parts and throwing them into a box beside him. "We're completely out of food."

Allison rolled her eyes. "Don't listen to him," she assured. "We've saved some food for you guys. John C., the older guy, set up beds for you all too, so none of you have to sleep on the ground."

"Thank you, Allison," Zoey chimed in. "We all really appreciate your efforts, and we'll be sure to deliver back!"

Allison only smiled. When we got back into the warehouse, a young Latino man waved us over. He was standing over a big pot, most likely the same one used to serve us breakfast. "I bet you guys are starving," he said, smiling.

"Who's that?" Nick asked Allison.

"Oh, him? That's John V. He's our machinist, mainly specializing in irrigation fitting," Allison answered. "He's an amazing guy."

As we got closer to the man, he began filling bowls full with some kind of soup that didn't look too appetizing. He must have seen my look of disgust, because he chuckled. "It's just broth, with goat meat and some vegetables. Tastes pretty good," he assured.

Ellis was the first to grab a bowl. "Are ya kidding? This is the kind of stuff my mom used to make! It's probably the best meal ever, in my opinion!" He grabbed a second bowl for Zoey and the couple walked off. John V. shook his head, grinning.

He wore a black shirt and cargo pants that had been burned, torn, and cut off in some places. He was a little shorter than most of the men here, but not by too much. His jet black hair had been styled back and his goatee didn't look too scraggly; at least, not like the other John's beard. His dark eyes scanned each of us as we made a grab for our dinner. He didn't seem like too much of a threat and even if he was, he didn't look like he could do much damage.

When we had gotten our food, he handed the pot to a younger woman. She had fair, dark skin and black, wavy hair that fell just below her back. She had chosen to go with a black tanktop and denim shorts that had been through a similar fate that John V.'s cargos went through. She remained straight-faced and didn't dare make eye contact with any of us. She came over to take our dishes when we had finished.

John V. approached our group minutes after we had finished dinner. "Hey."

"Hey John V.," Kai replied, "What'cha want, Bro?"

John V. eyed Kai before continuing his greeting. "Well…I just figured I'd…"

Mike burst through the warehouse door, a banged up, bloody pipe in one hand. His other was clutched over his side, stopping the flow of blood from a nasty wound. "We're under attack!" He shouted, and hit the pipe against the warehouse walls. "Everyone get off your asses and grab a weapon! They're coming like wildfire!"

"Who?" John V. demanded.

"Who do you think?" Mike hissed. "The freakin' Undead, that's who!"


	7. Chapter Six: George and the Favor

_**Let me just say I despise camping with a passion, but I am so glad to be back and writing again! :D**_

_**REVIEW REPLIES:**_

_**-NiekaWow**_  
_**Oh my gosh! Yes! :3 He's one of my favorite YouTubers! And yeah! I thought it would be fun to switch it up, since he isn't like the others and his emotions towards his personal conflict might be fun to explore...Even though it hasn't really been brought up as much as I would like...^^' I really liked the idea of giving Katie panic attacks, since it is something I am quite familiar with and one of my close and personal friends suggested I put it in. She's such a sweetheart in my point of view! Thank you so much for reading and reviewing! (Oh! And how's your wait going? Not too bad, I hope!)**_

_**-Crimson Endings**_  
_**Oh Tori, how you make me smile! xD**_  
_**Like I told you earlier, I don't think Nick is really that bad. Strader, yes, Nick, not really. I mean, I dislike Mike more than Nick, and they're pretty much the same character. ^^' And I know, right? Allison is amazing in the Colony series. She's just so fair and happy, but she also knows how to fight back. She's fabulous! **_  
_**I never thought of a Kai/Rochelle ship before! I was thinking more Francis/Rochelle, only because there is a part in the game where the two characters meet and they both discover that they both hate the same things and are almost meant to be, until Rochelle disses Francis's vest. ^^' But Kai/Rochelle...I'll have to think about that one! And I have to admit, "Snooty Latino" was the best thing I could use to describe that wonderful DA. ^^ Ellis is such a babe! :D And I know we talked about it, but it was just too tempting! I like ending my chapters in the "worst" way possible! ^^ Hopefully the wait for this chapter wasn't too long and awful!**_  
_**Thanks for reading and reviewing, Sis! I appreciate it!**_

_**-The Beautiful Filth**_  
_**Oh Strader! It's a good thing our zombie fighting crew is rebellious, right? :D And Ellis and John V. aren't related, actually! They seem alike, but they share no blood. That would have been a cool connection though! ^^ It might just be the fact that Ellis is a child at heart and John V. is just a very accepting man. :) Anyways! Thanks for reading and reviewing! I really do appreciate it!**_

_**-mozzi-girl (The Beast)**_  
_**And we all know how well I tend to do with action scenes. ^^' Thank you! I hope this chapter is to your liking! Oh wow...That is pretty painful, even though I haven't experienced either. ^^' But I'm glad you're doing fine! Thanks for reading and reviewing! I appreciate it a lot!**_

_**-Guest**_  
_**Thank you for bringing this to my attention! I did suspect that it wasn't flowing well, even in the first story when it was just the 11 survivors. Now I've added 4 more additional characters, and plus the original 10 Colonists...Yeah, I can totally see how that would be confusing! So, I made some changes in this chapter and I am taking out a few characters in the best way possible! So instead of 10 Colonists, there are now 7. If you have anymore suggestions on how I can make this story better, please tell me! I really do appreciate you bringing this up! :D Thank you for reading, assisting, and reviewing! :D**_

_**I really need to do my Driver's Ed stuff, so I'll be quick. (But seriously, how do you write an essay on "A person may not operate a motor vehicle upon any highway (ANY public roadway) with any passenger who is not an immediate family member of the driver until:") I hate Driver's Ed...Almost as much as I hate camping!**_

_**As I stated to "Guest", I am going to reduce the amount of characters that I do work with because it is getting confusing and to quote "Guest", "It becomes really hard to remember who's who and there seems far too many characters to write for, so it's hard to get attached to them in case of an upcoming death..." And I completely agree and I'm sorry if I have caused some confusion in the past! I am working on fixing it and am open to suggestions that could improve this story's quality! :D Thanks guys!**_

_**That's about it for today! I really hope you have an amazing week and please enjoy!**_

* * *

**Chapter Six: George and the Favor**

Mike dropped his weapon before collapsing to the ground, just as the other Colonists ran in.

"What's wrong?" the dark skinned woman asked, whom we later learned was named Leilani, asked. "We heard the…" Her voice faded when she saw the state of her comrade. "Mike!"

"I'm fine!" Mike hissed, clutching his side tighter as a wave of pain washed over. He looked pale and he was breathing heavily. "I am _not _dying today."

Allison pushed past us, a medical kit in her hand. She knelt beside Mike and whispered things only they could hear, as she ripped open the kit and pulled out gauze, scissors, and cleaning wipes. Before she got to work, she turned to us and shouted, "Don't just stand around! We have one man down, and the attacker is still out there!"

Nick turned to bark orders at us, but Kai held his hand up. "We need to set this place under lockdown."

"After we defend our land," Joey growled. "We worked too hard for some brainless rats to destroy it all…"

"We can't attack," Kai continued, raising his voice above Joey's. "Dr. Strader specifically commanded us to not…"

The cock of a gun shut Kai up instantly. We turned towards the sound and there Nick stood; his pistol in his hand and a crazed look in his eye. "You can tell your little friend with a degree that I don't care about his fancy new laws. When my family is in danger, I'll do whatever it takes to reestablish their safety." He turned to his wife. "Stella, take Katie, Amy and Sami into the bedroom. It's not the safest room to be in, but it's much better than what is outside."

Stella nodded and ushered the kids and Amy away. Nick faced us again and his tough demeanor settled upon us once more. "Alright Carriers…And Mal," he began and I clenched my fist, resisting the urge to punch him. "I know you all are carrying your firearms. We've been through this once, and we can do it again." He turned to Allison. "I'll be taking charge of this one, Sweetheart."

Allison opened her mouth to argue, but Mike's groans pulled her back into focus and she continued to wrap the gauze around his waist without questioning Nick's new order.

"Let's go," he said and we followed behind him outside. The sun was just setting along the horizon, making it bright enough to see the mass of Undead that had decided to show up uninvited on the Colonists' territory. There were at least one hundred, if not more. When one of the buggers caught our scent, it seemed like the rest of them did as well. A roaring wave of screaming and hissing arose and just like that, we unleashed Hell.

The Colonists peered from the safety of the warehouse, watching as we all contributed to the mass murder that was taking place. Several Infected beings collapsed to the floor, growling and convulsing before becoming still and silent. Ken jumped ahead of our group and managed to gun down a whole cluster of the beasts, before being tackled down by a female Infected. Kai shot the zombie before she could sink her razor-sharp teeth into Ken's jugular. Kai pulled Ken back to his feet and they charged in together.

Natara pressed her back up against mine and laughed lightly. "It feels good to be in familiar territory," she commented, panting between words.

"I'll say," I responded, grinning. "I have your back, you have mine?"

"Is that even a question," she replied and we squeezed out a few rounds. Moving in sync, we were able to incapacitate several of the beasts before Nick and Ellis finished them off. Zoey seemed to be doing rather well as Francis and Louis guarded her back. Her smile grew each time she hit her target. The trio rotated as if they had done this a thousand times, forming a cycle of emptying a round and then switching places with a neighbor.

Rochelle was crouched in front of Coach, both shooting ahead. When an Infected being would approach, Coach delivered a swift right hand hook to the jaw, causing the beast to stumble back far enough for Rochelle to finish it up.

The mob's numbers slowly decreased, much to ours and the Colonists pleasure. Louis shot down the final Infected and we all relaxed. Some of us dropped our weapons, panting heavily. Others, like Nick, Zoey, and Francis, didn't dare abandon their only protection.

"Thank goodness that's over," Coach replied, chuckling lightly. "Looks like we still got it, even after seven years." He clapped a hand on Zoey's back. "I'm especially surprised with you, Zoe."

Zoey smirked and turned to the warehouse. "Nothing will stop me from protecting you guys…And I really needed to let out some anger…"

The rest of us started making our way back to the warehouse, where five of the seven Colonists were waiting, awe etched upon their grimy faces. Joey looked the most surprised.

"I really underestimated you guys," he called. "I am truly sorry."

I smiled, opening my mouth to accept his unnecessary apology, when Leilani gasped and pointed past our shoulders. I only had a millisecond to look before Zoey was tackled down by a Hunter.

A Hunter is like a normal Infected/Zombie, only they have special abilities that the normal horde lacks. They're rather small, with pants patched up with duct tape and dark hoodies pulled over their empty eye sockets. Because of their inability to see, they track prey by using smell, and due to the incredible strength they have in their legs, they are able to pounce across great distances of 15 feet or more. They use their sharp teeth and jagged claws to tear away at their prey's flesh, and one of them was trying to get to Zoey.

Nick raised his weapon, training it upon the Hunter and a shot rang out. The Hunter jolted, before collapsing on top of Zoey, dead. Ellis rushed to shove the beast off of his wife and began to worry over her, checking over her body for any scratches and pulling her into tight hugs, while doing his best to fight back the tears.

"Nice shot," I complimented the gambler, but instead of taking the kind word, he scowled.

"I didn't shoot," he muttered. "Francis, did you shoot?"

"I was going to," he responded gruffly, "but you got to her first…Right?"

Nick shook his head and continued to scan the area. "Who could have…" he stopped suddenly, staring off, towards the gate. I followed his gaze and my heart beat quickened. Standing under the fading light of day was a man with a shot gun in hand. The barrel was smoking and the man was shaking lightly. I could barely make out his features, due to lack of light, but he had short, curly hair styled upright so it was out of his face. He was thin, but he didn't look healthy, nor did he look Infected. I pulled my gun from my holster and pointed it at him, moving forward.

"Stay where you are!" I shouted and the man froze. "Hands in the air! Drop the gun!"

He obeyed silently, setting the shot gun on the ground and holding his hands up. I continued to move forward, and got a better look of him. He had the brightest blue eyes I had ever seen and stubble that was growing quickly into a scruffy beard. He wore some kind of navy blue polo and torn jeans. Like the Colonists, he was lacking a nice shower and smelled heavily of machine oil. Whatever cuts or scrapes he had achieved were either stitched by hand, or bandaged off to prevent infection. Other than this, he didn't seem to pose much of a threat.

"What's your name?" I demanded, loud enough for the others behind me to hear.

"G-George, sir," he replied quietly. "Who are you? Where are my friends?"

I raised an eyebrow. "I'm Detec…I mean, I'm Mal. What do you mean by friends?"

George looked over my shoulder, attempting to seize a glimpse of the Colony. I raised my gun and his gaze snapped back to me. "My friends…Allison, Mike, Joey, John V., John C., and Leilani…Where are they? Are they okay?"

I lowered my gun almost instantly. "George," I muttered and I remembered something Mike had said the first day we met.

"_You're right," Mike replied gruffly. "The season did end weeks ago and we were supposed to be out of here. But the camera crew abandoned ship. They left us to die out here." He clenched his fists tightly. "They took George from us and then decided to leave us to die! We're all sick, tired, and we want to go home, but there's no way for us to leave."_

"No way," I said under my breath and faced the warehouse, increasing my volume. "You guys are _not _going to believe this!"

-C.O.D-

Needless to say, George got a magnificent home coming greeting. Unfortunately, it was cut short as soon as he learned what happened to Mike. Apologizing briefly, he left us and joined Allison in the clinic, releasing her from her duty and taking over. We could hear Allison shriek when she saw George and then some laughter before she rushed out to meet us, red in the face and smiling brightly. "He's back!" she exclaimed and the rest of us smiled.

The Carriers and I decided to turn in early while the others cleaned up and tightened security. However, sleep was the last thing on all of our minds.

"I'm so glad you're okay!" Stella called, pulling Nick into a tight, bear hug and planting kisses on his cheeks. Nick grew red and hugged her back, sending us threatening glares if we dare decided to laugh or tease him.

Ken cradled Amy in a hug as she whispered something to him, tears spilling down her cheeks. He chuckled and tightened his grip around her. Katie approached Natara and I and together, we tackled her.

"I want to go home," she whispered in a quivering voice and my heart ached. I hated to see her suffer like this. It pained me to know that she was forcefully dragged into this. It was unbearable. Whether I liked it or not, something had to be done.

"I know, Sweetheart," I replied, "but it's going to be awhile."

As the others settled into bed and the rest of the Colonists started filing in, I pulled Natara aside, leaving Katie with Ken and Amy.

"Her panic attacks are going to get worse," I told her. "Nat…She can't stay here anymore."

Natara held her silence for as long as she could, before nodding slowly. "Yeah…I know. And I know it's not my call to make, but I don't want Amy, Stella, Sami, and even Zoey to be here anymore. They are family, but they're too vulnerable and it'll kill me if one of them gets hurt."

"I agree," I replied and Natara pulled out her cell phone.

"Only a few minutes of battery left," she muttered, "I really hope this call is worth it." She punched in the numbers that she knew oh-so-well and I reached for her free hand and squeezed it.

"It's for the best," I mouthed and she nodded, as a man on the other line picked up.

"Dad…" she began, "I have a really huge favor to ask of you…"


	8. Chapter Seven: Disaster's Opening Act

**_Hey guys! _**

**_REVIEW REPLIES:_**

**_-NiekaWow_**  
**_Haha! But at least you're holding strong, right? Ah, I love Toby so much. ^^_**  
**_And yeah, plus it's difficult for me to have to keep describing all of these people, because I keep reusing the same description. But I've decided I'm done adding foreign characters for now. ^^ I'm glad you like the drama of it, though! :D_**  
**_Yes! And taking a shower and sleeping in a comfortable bed for the first time in a couple of days. Although, I did sneak in my phone and iPod so my friends and I could watch Castle. We didn't really get caught, but my mom (who was the camp director) found out. However, by the time she did, she was so sick of camping and gave up on enforcing rules. ^^' It must run in the family!_**  
**_And may I ask where you're going on this wonderful 2 month vacation? :D_**  
**_Thanks for reading and reviewing, Danieka! I love hearing from you! :D _**

**_-The Beautiful Filth_**  
**_Yeah, knowing him, I doubt he would deny it. :) And I know, right? Zoey is by far, my favorite character in the Left 4 Dead series. :D Thanks for reading and reviewing! :D_**

**_-mozzi-girl (The Beast)_**  
**_I do try my best! :D Thanks for reading and reviewing, Molly! I appreciate it!_**

**_I tried my best on this chapter, guys. That's really all I can say. (And despite better judgment, added a new character, but you all know him, so I didn't think it was that big of a deal.) I'm starting to hit Writer's Block, so I may wait to post the next chapter until I have written a couple more._**

**_And I have two questions! (They aren't really that urgent, but I just want a little reassurance and advice!)_**

**_Have any of you been white-water rafting (I think that's what it's called)? And if so, what should I do to keep safe? (I'm going this Sunday with my cousins and I am TERRIFIED that I'm going to mess up and kill everyone on the raft, including myself.)_**

**_Also, what is the best birthday present for someone who likes Cause of Death or Castle? _**

**_Thanks guys, and I'll see you all later!_**

**_Enjoy!_**

* * *

**Chapter Seven: Disaster's Opening Act**

**Three Days Ago**

"Mr. Strader," a young woman called, leaning out of a door. "The president is ready for you."

Alan Strader grinned, standing up. "Thank you for convincing him to listen to my plea, Ma'am."

The woman raised an eyebrow and nodded slowly, guiding the scientist past the doors and into the Oval Office. There in his chair, sat the man who ran the country. Normally, it would have been an honor to be standing in his presence, but Strader was only focused on the vial he held in his coat pocket.

The President nodded towards a chair in front of him, but Strader politely declined.

"I'll only be a few moments, Sir," he began.

"So be it," the President replied and sat back in his seat. "What brings you to D.C., Alan? Last I heard, you were developing the possible cure for the common cold."

Strader chuckled. "We're still working on it," he assured. "I'm here on a…separate matter." Strader began to pace around the room, stuffing his hands in his pockets, grasping the vial. "In honor of the anniversary tomorrow, I've been studying the virus that tore through the nation those seven short years ago and I've discovered something quite extraordinary."

"Proceed," the President grunted and Strader's smile grew.

"Of course," he replied and slipped the vial out of his pocket and presented it to the President, who recoiled in fear. He gripped the arm rests and kicked his chair back.

"Is that it?" he asked, his voice quivering.

Strader shrugged. "It's a peculiar little disease," he continued, ignoring the President's burning question. "You see, seven years ago, it could only travel through wounds caused by an infected being. Now…" He slowly unclasped the vial and the President jumped forward, pressing a button on his phone. Instantly, a security guard rushed in, a sniper in hand. He wore a light blue surgical mask.

"What seems to be the problem, Sir?" the guard asked and Strader smiled as the President stumbled over his words.

"This man is a lunatic! He's…He's releasing the virus into the air!"

"And…" the guard muttered.

"And…What do you think? Get him out of here before he begins another epidemic!"

But the guard remained stationary as Strader slowly approached the President.

"You didn't let me finish," Strader said, frowning playfully. As he continued to step forward, the President pushed more buttons on his phone, but nothing happened.

"Where are my guards?" he shouted and the one security officer in the room chuckled.

"I knew you would be trouble," Strader began, "so I hired my own guard. Mr. President, meet the finest sharp-shooter in California; Jeremy Redbird."

"Pleasure," Jeremy growled and raised his gun. The President gulped and pushed back into the wall.

"He's quite the wild one," Strader continued. "Sometimes, he shoots without command just because he wants to. So, if I were you, I'd cooperate." Strader stepped around the desk and cornered the President. "Now, I'll make this very clear. You are no longer in power. In a few minutes, you'll become Infected, just because I opened the vial."

"What about you?" the President spat. "Y-you are exposed too!"

Strader laughed and faced Jeremy. "Isn't he just cute?" Jeremy nodded. "Mr. President…I've spent years working on this virus. I've been perfecting it so it could infect those worthless Carriers you had your heart set on meeting tomorrow. I've been so close to the virus, I've become immune to it. When the Carriers are wiped out, everyone will look towards me to save them. I will select a few worthy warriors and spread the virus throughout the world. I will become the supreme leader!"

"Your plan will never work," the President growled. He winced in pain and clutched the chair tighter. The transformation was already beginning.

"And would you like to tell me why?" Strader asked and the President grit his teeth, snapping his eyes shut and enduring the rush of pain.

"The moment I'm gone, the Carriers will know what's going on. You'll be dethroned before you even sit down."

Strader laughed loudly. "You're a funny one, you are." Strader lowered himself, balancing the vial above the President. "Here's the problem; the Carriers work for me. So far, they believe I'm the good guy." The President's eyes widened and Strader grabbed his face and tilted it upwards, so his mouth was slightly agape. "Maybe they'll detain you, Mr. President. Maybe you'll have another chance at life." He began to pour the liquid down the man's throat. "That is…If there is anyone left to help you."

When the vial was empty, Strader stepped back and pocketed it. The President convulsed violently as the deadly infection began to overtake him. Strader turned to Jeremy.

"Sir…" Jeremy began, but the scientists stopped him.

"We'll talk about her when we get back to safety. You knocked everyone out, right?" Jeremy nodded. "Perfect. Let's go."

And the two ran off, the last thing they heard was the President's gurgled screams.

-C.O.D-

"I want to know where she is, Strader," Jeremy barked, sitting in the back of a black sedan, driven by one of Strader's assistants. The scientist himself sat next to the sniper, examining the empty vial with a smirk.

"In due time, Redbird," he replied. "Did you see how magnificent the transformation was? It was much more entertaining than the last few infections were."

Jeremy sighed and adjusted the blue mask on his face. "What was the point of those past infections, anyway?"

Strader chuckled. "To challenge the Carriers, of course."

"Isn't infecting the President of the United States a challenge on its own?"

Strader shook his head. "That was just an opening act. Soon enough, someone will check upon the President and realize he's been infected. D.C. will collapse and will rely on VOPA and our pathetic side-company CEDA to rebuild the foundation of this so called, "majestic" nation. Since I am head of VOPA, I'll be ruling the United States and soon, as the virus continues to creep upon other unsuspecting nations, the world."

"But you'll protect her…Won't you?" Jeremy asked, trying to catch his superior's gaze, but to no avail.

"I'll protect her like I protect you, Redbird," Strader replied dully. "Right now, I just want you to relax. Disaster is just beginning to unfold."


	9. Chapter Eight: Unexpected Deliveries

_**I kind of gave up on this chapter. ^^;**_

_**REVIEW REPLIES:**_

_**-ZeDancingHobbit**_  
_**In due time, my friend! (In other words, I'm still trying to figure this out. ^^;) Thanks for reading and reviewing! I appreciate it!**_

_**-mozzi-girl (The Beast)**_  
_**^^ I'm glad that I get to work with him, now! And as for Blaise, yeah, I'm pretty sure she got caught in the last infection. I don't remember if I put anything about her dying; I just remember mentioning her getting the virus. Who knows, it may or may not be Blaise! And thank you so much for your help, anyway! Water Rafting was quite an enjoyable experience, despite its lack of crazy rapids. ^^; I got a really wicked sunburn of the wetsuit, though. :D Anyways! Thank you for reading, reviewing, and helping me out! I appreciate it!**_

_**-NiekaWow**_  
_**I know! I thought he was around twenty when I first saw his videos! Isn't he nearing thirty now? Then again, I know a woman who had a twenty-six year difference from her husband, so there's still hope for all of us crazy fangirls! |  
You'll hold out just fine! :D How many days is it now until you get your game?**_  
_**As for your trip, that sounds really fun! You know...minus the six weeks spent driving. I hope you will enjoy it, though! That sounds like a really cool experience! (And you totally should sing that! That would be AMAZING!)**_  
_**And don't worry about talking about yourself! I love to get to know my readers! You're welcome to talk about anything you want! :D**_  
_**I love writing for Strader now! (And Jer-Jer of course!) It's so much more fun tackling two characters than several others. :)**_  
_**Thank you so much for reading and reviewing! And I hope you have an amazing trip! :D **_

_**-The Beautiful Filth**_  
_**That will be revealed...As soon as I discover who she is, exactly. ^^; Yeah...I'm not really planning this out too well...But the outcome will be awesome! :D Thank you for reading and reviewing! I really do appreciate it!**_

_**Alright, I'm going to be as quick as I can, because it is a pretty long chapter...Sorry 'bout that!**_

_**I won't be able to post again for awhile. August is just around the corner and I'm still on Chapter 3 of Driver's Ed. It needs to be done by August 31st, as well as my Road and Range, and that could take AWHILE. So that has become my first priority.**_

_**However, I am going to Arizona this weekend, and the car-ride length is atrocious, so I'm bringing my laptop and a hotspot and I'm going to try to finish DE on the road, and possibly write some more fanfiction, if I can even pull some time aside.**_

_**Also, I am going to try to work on my YouTube stuff and get something posted before school starts.**_

_**It's going to be a little crazy for the next few weeks, so I apologize, but also want to thank every single one of you guys for coming back. It means so much to me!**_

_**I hope you all have a fantastic week! :D Be safe!**_

_**And enjoy!**_

* * *

**Chapter Eight: Unexpected Deliveries**

**Present**

Before I retired to bed I ran over to Allison, who had been briefing George on all that had happened since his disappearance. He watched her intently; smiling lightly whenever she mentioned a victory, even if it was short lived. When Allison gained attention of my presence and squeezed George's arm.

"We'll talk later," she said and he nodded before turning to me and smiling.

"Hey," he greeted. "Thanks for not shooting me out on the field."

I shrugged. "No problem…Sorry about that, by the way." George replied with a short smile before walking past me. Allison folded her arms across her chest.

"What's up?" she asked.

"You guys have done so much for me and my friends," I began. "I only want to return the favor." Allison smiled.

"That's very sweet, but you don't have to give us anything."

I shook my head. "I'm going to, whether you like it or not." She laughed.

"Alright, alright! What do you want?"

"Can Nick, Zoey, Ken and I have the 4:30 to 6:30 watch?"

Before we arrived to the Colony, the Colonists had arranged a night-watch schedule. By most of their groans and hisses, I picked up that they weren't too fond of staying up when they could be sleeping. Natara noticed this as well and asked if I could pull Ken, Nick, and Zoey aside at this time to warn them of Raj's arrival.

Honestly, I knew Zoey wasn't going to leave. If she gave us so much crap about wanting to carry her luggage, she was going to do worse so she could stay with us and fight for our survival. I wasn't sure how Nick or Ken would take it, though I had a feeling they would be a lot more willing than Zoey.

Allison's smile grew. "Mike is going to be very sad that you took his watch, but I'm sure he'll understand."

I chuckled. "Thanks Allison. This means a lot." I return to the bedrooms.

-C.O.D-

Before I knew it, I was torn from sleep by a very groggy John V.

"It's 4:30, Mal," he said quietly. "Time for your watch. I'll go get the others."

I nodded slowly and rubbed my eyes, before glancing to my side where Natara slept. She had one arm draped over Katie, and the other hidden beneath the dirty sheets. Her mouth was slightly ajar and her hair was splashed across the pillow, forming a dark, brunette halo. Katie was curled into a ball, cuddled close to Natara, her face contorted in a neutral expression, though the corners of her mouth were upturned ever so slightly.

I pulled myself out of bed and pulled on some jeans and tied up my shoes before exiting the bedroom and walking into the main room of the warehouse. Everyone's projects lay scattered among the place. The others weren't up yet, so to pass some time, I strolled over to John C.'s desk. It displayed rough drawings scrawled across paper. Some of the designs were fading away, but it still didn't blanket the magnificence of it all. John C.'s contraptions looked complex when scrawled across paper, but as I found them scattered across the warehouse, they looked incredibly simple. I shuffled through more of the blueprints, analyzing each detail and trying to find the device they represented. I was brought back to reality when Nick's voice arose from my side.

"Is this what we're doin' for two hours?" he asked and I jumped.

"Nick!" I gasped and he chuckled.

"Not lookin' at anything inappropriate, are we detective?" he asked and I opened my mouth to argue, but was shortly interrupted by Ken.

"Mal," he began, "why the hell am I up before 8:00?"

It took me a moment to remember the situation at hand before I took a deep breath and sighed heavily. "I need to talk to you guys." I motioned for them to follow me and we stepped out of the warehouse. The sky was still dark, but the stars were beginning to fade away.

"This is obviously a dangerous situation we are about to throw ourselves into," I started. "And we all know that we want to keep each other safe..."

"Just spit it out, Fallon," Nick hissed, shoving his hands into his pockets.

"Natara and I called her father, who happens to be a very wealthy guy, and he has agreed to remove some of us from this warehouse and transport them to a safer place."

"So why did you bring us out here?" Ken asked.

"Because we all know someone that needs to go with Raj," I continued and gestured to Nick. "You have Sami and Stella. I hate to say it, but they're just in the way. They're going to get killed if we don't do something about it." Nick looked like he was going to object, but he nodded slowly. "And Ken, you have Amy. You and I have both known her long enough to know she's better off somewhere where she can't get hurt."

"What about me?" Zoey asked, her voice rising just a little.

"You have yourself," I began and she scoffed loudly.

"There is no way in _hell _that I am leaving my friends and husband behind to fight zombies without me!"

"Zoe," I added, "we're just thinking about the baby."

"And you heard Allison," Zoey continued. "She can take care of me when the time comes."

"I dunno, Sweetheart," Nick sighed. "I know you had your heart set on blowing some brains out, but do you really think having your baby in a place like the warehouse will do you or the baby some good?"

Zoey clenched her fists. "I am not leaving, and that's final."

I stopped Nick from continuing the argument. "Fine, Zoey stays. But as for the others, we need to get them out of here. Mr. Mansingh has already sent his family to a safe house in Russia, and he's taking the others there today."

I waited for Ken and Nick to object my order, but they stood in silence. Ken shook his head lightly while Nick glared at his feet.

"I'll also be sending Katie," I replied, breaking the moment of awkward silence. Ken and Nick looked up at me, though Nick's gaze looked sorrier. We both were going to go through the same pain; losing our baby girls. _No, not losing; just sending away for a little bit. _

"When's he coming?" Ken asked and I shrugged.

"Sometime between 6:30 and 8:00," I replied.

Ken nodded. "Can…Can I go be with Amy for a little longer?"

I smiled sadly. "Of course." Ken smiled and darted back inside the warehouse. His dedication to Amy always astounded me.

"I'm going to spend these last few hours with my wife and little girl," Nick grumbled, before leaving without saying anything else.

I expected Zoey to abandon me, but instead, she placed her hand upon my shoulder. I smiled down at her.

"You're a good man, Mal," she assured.

"I can't take all the credit," I said. "Natara took part in it too."

"Yeah, I know," Zoey continued and motioned for me to follow her to bench leaning against the warehouse walls. We both sat down and she fixed her gaze upon the horizon.

"I love this time of day," she said quietly after a few moments. "It's a good time to think and reflect."

I smiled. "I'm usually still sleeping," I replied and she laughed lightly before placing her hands upon her stomach.

"I used to sleep through this time of day too. But ever since I've had this baby, I've been unable to sleep."

I looked to her. "Are you worried?" I asked.

She shrugged. "That, as well as a number of things. I'm excited for the memories Ellis and I will have, but I fear for the baby's life. What if something happens to Ellis and I? What if something happens to the baby? What if this and what if that? It's gotten worse since we arrived here, but the other emotions have equally increased. I can't wait to tell this baby about my life and how I made it through just fine. I can't wait to tell him/her about her amazing extended family and how they all played a part in my life."

Her smile faded slowly and another awkward silence fell upon us. "Hey Mal," she began. "Can I ask you something?"

I nodded. "Sure, Zoe."

She drummed her fingers on her stomach before looking me in the eye. "Will you and Natara be our baby's godparents?"

This caught me off guard. "Wh-what?"

"Will you and Natara be our baby's godparents?" she repeated and my face flushed of all color.

I wasn't against the idea…Completely. I just didn't know if I had the courage to raise another child if something happened to its parents. I couldn't even develop a great bond with Katie, which always had its way of making me feel like a worthless parent. Natara took care of her while I tried my hardest every day to stay alive while out on the field. I had nervous breakdowns almost every day just thinking about unexpectedly dying and leaving Natara…My sweet, adoring Natara alone to take care of our baby girl. It wasn't an easy thing to deal with. Then adding the thought of my friends dying and having to take care of their child when there's a possibility I could fall under the same fate; I did not want to live like that.

"Mal, you don't have…" Zoey began, but I just chuckled nervously.

"I'll talk to Natara about it," I interjected, cracking a weary smile.

Zoey smiled lightly and stood up, wincing as she straightened her back. I recognized that flash of pain and stood up instantly.

"Are you okay?" I asked and she laughed quietly.

"I'm just fine, Mal," she replied. "My back is just killing me. I'm going to get Ellis to take care of it though." We stood in silence as she smiled and I stashed my hands in my pockets, darting my eyes around the scene. "I'll see you later," she finally said and turned to walk away. I didn't stop her; I just watched. She disappeared into the warehouse and I suppose she snuck back into the bedroom, cuddling closer to her doting husband, who had been searching for her since he felt the space where she slept was empty. I imagined he held her tight before kissing her cheek and placing his hands upon her stomach and whispering things to their baby. I smiled at the idea and sat back down, looking off into the horizon, before drifting off into a quite peaceful sleep.

-C.O.D-

The sound of a helicopter drawing near to the Colony jolted me out of sleep. My first thought was that we were being attacked. I jumped off the seat and searched the sky for the intruding, aerial device, wondering if a bullet could reach that high. It wasn't until Natara rushed out, Katie in suit, when I realized what was going on.

"He's early," Natara stated and covered her eyes to observe the helicopter, now hovering above our warehouse.

"Early is still better than late," I replied and looked to Katie. She clutched onto Natara's leg, looking up at the helicopter; unaware that her grandpa was a passenger. I knelt down so I was at her eye level and reached over to grab her hand. She looked up at me, clearly afraid. She was breathing quickly and her face was vacant of color.

"Sweetheart," I whispered and she shivered, clutching my hand tighter. "You're going to be just fine. Grandpa Mansingh is here for you."

"What about…You?" she asked and I smiled sadly.

"Mommy and I will be joining you as soon as we can," I informed. "We just need to stay here for a little bit."

She looked up to Natara to confirm what I had said, and she gave our daughter a slow nod. The helicopter slowly lowered itself onto the warehouse front 'yard', attracting the presence of Mike. He ran out of the warehouse with a frying pan in hand and stopped when he saw the 'copter.

"What the hell," he muttered, and then turned to Natara and I. "What's going on?"

I opened my mouth to explain, but a booming voice stopped me.

"Malachi! Natara!" the voice exclaimed and we turned to face the helicopter. Leaning out the door was none other than Raj Mansingh. He was dressed in a grey suit, complete with a crimson tie. He motioned for the pilot to cut the power and the blades whirred to a stop, before he jumped out onto the concrete and marched towards Natara, Mike, Katie, and I.

"Natara!" he greeted once more and pulled her into a tight hug, releasing, then pulling Katie into another hug. "Katie! It's good to see you!" He placed her back onto the ground and shook my hand. "And you too, Malachi."

"Mal," I corrected, shaking back, "and thank you so much for coming out here on such short notice."

Raj chuckled. "Anything for my daughter and her husband," he replied and clapped his hands together. "Where are my other passengers?"

"Wait," Mike called out. "This guy is your father?"

Natara nodded. "Some of us aren't fit to fight; we needed to get them out of here as quickly as possible."

"And you didn't tell any of us?" Mike barked.

"Your people seem fit enough to fight," I argued. "If you haven't noticed, we have two kids and two women who haven't been in a fight like the ones we are bound to face."

"Don't you mean three?" Mike mocked.

"Zoey can handle herself," I replied and rolled my eyes. "Unless you want to have some of your people cower out."

Mike clenched his fists and turned away. "I'll go get your friends," he grumbled before reentering the warehouse. Raj raised an eyebrow.

"He seems like a jerk," he mumbled and Natara scoffed.

"Jerk doesn't really describe it," she growled.

"He's determined…But he's not very nice about it," I added and Raj nodded slowly.

"Well…If you want me to, you know," he ran a finger across his neck and cracked a smile. "You know how to contact me."

Moments later, Ken, Nick, Amy, Sami, and Stella exited the warehouse, Mike nowhere to be found. Raj examined the group.

"I don't think they'll all fit," he remarked and Natara shook her head.

"It's just the kids and the two girls," she assured. Her father nodded.

"Alright then," he began and then addressed the rest of us, "Whoever is coming with me…I'll give you a few minutes to say goodbye, and then we have to be out of here. Further instructions will be briefed on the helicopter ride." He returned his attention towards Natara and I. "Are you sure you two don't want to come? I can make room."

Natara smiled. "We'll be fine, Dad. Just…" She looked down to Katie, still clung to her leg, but looking up at her grandfather. "Please keep Katie safe. Neha knows how to handle her little attacks, but if she gets a little out of hand on the ride, just remember to tell her that everything will be okay."

Raj nodded and knelt down to Katie's height. Her shaking wasn't as bad as it had been before, but she still looked pale and her breathing was still quite rapid. "We'll have fun, okay?" he promised. "Mommy and Daddy will join us later, but we'll go and see grandma and Aunt Neha!" Katie nodded and he smiled before standing up straight. "Please…Stay safe you two."

Natara and I nodded and he walked off to the helicopter. Natara and I both took this chance to say our goodbyes. However, as Natara did most of the talking, I looked at the other three who weren't going to stay for the fight.

Nick was holding Sami in a tight hug, his eyes clenched tight as he said something to her. Stella wrapped her arms around the two and Nick kissed her cheek. I could barely read his lips, but I was certain he said, _I Love You_ about a dozen times.

Ken and Amy were locked in a passionate kiss. Her arms were wrapped around his neck and he held her around the waist. When they had finished, he placed his forehead against hers and smiled as he told her something. He said _I Love You _just a few times, before kissing her shortly and releasing her from his tender embrace.

"I love you so much," Natara said, pulling Katie into a hug. "Be good for grandma, grandpa, and Neha, alright?"

"Alright," Katie responded softly and Natara released her. I pulled her into my arms shortly after. I was silent for a moment, unsure of what to say. I was able to call out criminals and humiliate others, but finding words to say to Katie…Well, I never thought it would be this hard.

"We'll be just fine, kiddo," I muttered. "And so will you. You're a very strong girl."

"No," she whispered, "I'm not."

I pulled back to look at her, my hands still clasped around her shoulders. "Yes you are."

"Strong people don't get scared," she replied softly.

"I get scared," I admitted and she looked at me, confused. "In fact, I am scared right now. But you know what; I know that I have enough courage to pull through this. You do too."

"Are you sure?" Katie asked and I nodded.

"Of course I'm sure! Heck, you're stronger than I am sometimes." I hugged her once more. "You'll be just fine. I love you, Katie."

She snuggled closer and whispered into my jacket. "I love you too, Daddy."

It's hard to describe what I felt. I was still nervous about the whole fiasco I was just getting into, but I had this odd burning in my chest that reassured me that everything was going to be okay. Katie would be fine. Natara would be fine. Nick, Coach, Ellis, Zoey…Everyone would be just fine. I stood up and patted Katie's shoulder.

"You better go, Sweetheart," I told her. "Grandpa will be with you the whole time."

"I know," Katie responded and she began to walk off. I heard a few sniffles coming from Natara and I wrapped my arm around her, squeezing her shoulder. Katie was soon followed by Amy, who was then followed by Stella holding onto Sami's hand. Ken and Nick joined our sides as they watched their loved ones hop into the helicopter, guided by Raj. As soon as everyone was inside and strapped down, he sent us a small wave before sliding the door shut. The helicopter took off, slowly rising into the air; long enough for me to realize what I had just lost.

"Damn," Nick muttered, his voice shaking lightly. "That was rough."

I nodded. "They're in the safest hands possible," I assured. "They'll be just fine."

Natara and I turned to return into the warehouse to begin helping others with their projects, when Ellis raced out, holding his blue cap onto his head so it wouldn't fly off. As he got closer, you could see the worry on his face, mixed in with excitement. He panted heavily and waved towards us.

"Nick, Mal, Natara, Ken!" he shouted. "Zoey's water broke! She's having the baby right now!"


	10. Chapter Nine: Baby Steps

_**Another chapter I am not too fond of, but it's definitely something!**_

_**REVIEW REPLIES:**_

_**-NiekaWow**_  
_** I think he does have a girlfriend...Or just a really close friend that happens to be a girl. ^^ I came across the story on BuzzTube and apparently, he took his assistant to a masquerade ball and all I can think of was how cute it probably was. I'm with you on that one; I really want him to get married. :D**_  
_** Just a few more days! You can do this!**_  
_** I didn't even know they had camels in Australia! That is really cool! And holy cow, you wouldn't believe how much hotspots saved my life on this trip I recently took. Are you taking a little hotspot device or just relying on the outside world? :D**_  
_** Thanks for the luck-wishing! I actually passed my final exam today! So all I have to do is drive for awhile and I can get licensed!**_  
_** Leaving people on cliffhangers is so much fun though! ^^ And I totally agree with you on Zoey! Definitely one of my favorite characters to write for! Her and Strader because he's an original and I make him do anything. ^^ And I'm glad you liked the Mal and Katie scene! It was fairly difficult to write, but it was worth it! :D **_  
_** Anyways! Thanks for reading and reviewing!**_

_**-The Beautiful Filth**_  
_** At least they aren't in the middle of fighting a zombie horde. ^^' But yeah, bad timing is my specialty. Thank you so much for the compliment and for reading this story! I appreciate it so much! :D**_

_**-mozzi-girl (The Beast)**_  
_** I am glad you felt that way during this chapter! It was very difficult to write, and I'm glad it was successful! :D And I'm just going to agree with you because I am not in the mood to go back that far. (You know how it is reading your old stories.) So it's official now; Blaise was saved after the apocalypse!**_  
_** And I'm glad I lived to tell the tale. ^^ Thanks for reading and reviewing, and just being beastly! :D I appreciate it!**_

_**To make it short, I just want to thank you all again for reading this story and you're all welcome to send me some suggestions on what you want to see in future chapters, or what can make the story better in general. ^^ This story has become one of my top priorities and I want to make it the best I can. **_

_**I hope you all have a great week! Stay safe and please enjoy!**_

* * *

**Chapter Nine: Baby Steps**

Despite our best efforts, Allison and George refused to have anyone enter the clinic; even Ellis had to sit outside, running his fingers through his hair and pacing back and forth by the door. He was mixed in a pool of emotions. One moment, he was cursing his bad luck and the other; he was telling us how excited he was to hold his kid.

I knew it would be awhile before any progress was made, so I asked Ellis to join me on a walk. Natara agreed to stay behind and warn him if anything happened with Zoey while we were out. At first, he tried to back out, consistently reminding us that Zoey was indeed pregnant with his kid and that he needed to be there every step of the way. I then reminded him that I was a father too and to trust me that taking a walk during the long hours of labor is a lot better than sitting in a stuffy room, waiting to see your kid.

I led Ellis outside the warehouse boundaries, just walking along the edge of the large, wire-fence that sheltered the Colonists and Carriers. I let him talk to release his feelings and built-up energy.

"It was so sudden," he said with a nervous smile. "She came in after talking to you, and she sat down on the bed and started talking, like any other day."

I nodded and he continued.

"Then she complained of contraction like pains. The doctor told me that she would be experiencing such a thing before labor actually occurred and told me not to worry too much. And then she told me her water broke and…"

"You panicked?" I guessed and he chuckled, rubbing the back of his neck.

"It's hard to remain calm when your wife is having a baby…"

I smiled. "It's scary," I agreed.

Ellis's smile slowly faded. "She'll be alright, won't she? I don't want to go on without her if she doesn't make it…" He stopped and looked towards the warehouse. His light eyes were filled with concern and worry, his hands hidden within his pockets. "She's my everything, ya know? When I first saw her…Gosh." Ellis's cheerful smile returned, recalling those precious memories he held so dearly to his heart. "You could tell she was upset about something, but she didn't let her emotions get the better of her. She was covered in blood, bandaged almost everywhere. She looked like she hadn't showered in weeks, or slept for that matter. But she was still the most gorgeous thing I had ever seen. I was at a loss for words."

He continued, describing the memory for me in great detail. Louis had been injured in a horde attack and Francis, Zoey, and their late friend Bill led him to safety, hoping to start up a generator to open a bridge to lead them to a permanent safe-house. Something had gone wrong, and Bill went to scope it out, hoping to start up a second generator, but was killed in the process by three Tanks; mutant zombies with the size and strength of a large, male gorilla. When Ellis and his team arrived, Zoey, Louis and Francis talked to them from their refuge high above the chaos.

"I love her," he finished.

I placed my hand on his shoulder and gave him a small smile. "She'll be alright, El."

He nodded. "Thanks Malachi…"

"No problem," I responded. "I understand how you feel." I watched him for a moment. His gaze was still fixated upon the warehouse and he was fidgeting with something in his pocket. "Why don't we head back?" I suggested and he nodded without looking at me.

"That would be nice," he replied and began to head back, walking at a much faster pace than me.

-C.O.D-

Natara greeted us at the warehouse entrance, smiling brightly. "Hey guys!"

"Is she okay?" Ellis asked immediately.

"Zoey is just fine," Natara replied. "Still no baby, but Allison and George agreed to let you visit her; at least until the baby comes."

Ellis didn't exchange another word. He darted past her and straight into the clinic, ignoring the other greetings he received from the Colonists and fellow Carriers. Natara laughed lightly and waved me inside. I followed her and she began to question me.

"How was the walk?"

"Pretty good."

"How's Ellis holding up?"

"He's about to be a dad…What do you think?"

Natara smiled, her gaze directed towards the ground. Her hair fell into her face. It was messy from days of unrest and lack of cleanliness, but she didn't seem to mind as much as the other women. She stopped walking and folded her arms across her chest and looked up at me. "What about you, Mal? How are you holding up?"

I stopped as well and sighed heavily. "I just don't get it."

"What?"

"This whole zombie apocalypse ordeal. By now, we would have at least faced a couple of hordes."

"The less, the better," Natara responded. "But I have a feeling that's not what you mean."

"If someone did steal the virus…Why have they only killed the president and a group of civilians?"

"Usually when someone eliminates someone of high status," Natara began, "they're seeking power and control, which could also mean they're trying to get revenge on someone who has done them wrong."

"But what about the infected civilians? Where do they fit into this?"

Natara shrugged. "Maybe something happened and whoever stole the virus unintentionally released it."

I sighed. "It's a good thing we got Katie and the others out while we could."

Natara nodded slowly. "C'mon. Mike needed help finding some parts for an alternate generator. I promised we would help when you got back."

I threw my head back and groaned loudly. "Nat!"

"It's the least we can do," she replied and gripped my hand and dragged me further into the warehouse.

-C.O.D-

We were rescued by Ellis just a few hours later.

"Malachi…Nat," he began, smiling brighter than I had ever seen. "Come here."

We already caught onto what he was trying to tell us. Rushing away from a flustered Mike, we were led by Ellis into the clinic.

Zoey was lying upon a makeshift bed. The room smelled heavily of alcoholic cleansing wipes and the faint tinge of blood hung in the air. Zoey held a bundle of jackets and from inside, a baby was cooing lightly. Zoey was grinning, running her finger along, what I assumed to be, the baby's cheek.

Ellis placed his hands on both Natara and my back and led us closer. "You two are the first to see him; aside from Miss Allison and George, of course," he informed us in a hushed whisper.

When he came into view, Natara covered her mouth to silent her squeals. "Oh my…He is so cute," she exclaimed quietly, kneeling next to Zoey to get a better look at him. I stood above, looking down upon the baby.

I was never good with deciding who the baby looked like, but he definitely had Zoey's coffee-colored hair. His face scrunched up when he yawned and he looked up at me. Instantly, my mind fell upon the day Katie was born.

"What's his name?" I asked, kneeling beside Natara, placing my hands on her shoulders.

Zoey and Ellis shared a look and smile before Zoey announced, "William."

"Bill for short," Ellis added.

"Bill," I repeated and chuckled. "It has a nice ring to it."

"May I?" Natara asked, extending her arms and Zoey nodded before placing Bill into her arms.

"It's been awhile since I've held a baby," Natara whispered. "Hey Bill."

"Hey little guy," I greeted, leaning in a bit closer.

Bill glanced up at me, before yawning and cuddling closer into his jacket blanket. Natara giggled lightly. "He is adorable, Zoey!"

"Yeah," I agreed, "Good work, you two."

Ellis chuckled. "He's a handsome little fella," he said. "I am proud to be his father."

I opened my mouth to reply to his comment, but the door was thrown open by the one, the only, Kai Kalaba. However, instead of looking like he wanted to disturb the peace with an 'interesting' factoid, he looked disheveled and worried.

"Hey…Can I talk to Mal and Natara?" he asked, eyeing us.

"Sure," I said and stood up. Ellis took Bill from Natara and she followed my lead. Kai nodded towards the new parents and guided us outside and away from the clinic.

"It better be important, Kalaba," I muttered and he nodded.

"It is," he assured. "Are you two well-informed on transmitting diseases?"

"Is this going to be awkward," I growled, "because…"

"No! Well…Not for you two at least. But for Zoey and Ellis…"

"Why," Natara asked, her attention caught suddenly. "What's wrong with them?"

"Well," Kai began, "it occurred to me when Zoey went into labor that both she and Ellis are Carriers of the zombie virus."

"And…." I said.

"And Carrier's have a fifty-percent chance of transmitting the disease they carry onto their offspring."

Natara's eyes widened. "Are you saying…?"

"That Bill could possibly be infected?" Kai asked. "Yes…Yes I am."

"But he looks so healthy," I argued and Kai shook his head.

"Everyone does before they turn."

Natara tugged on my arm. "We got to warn them," she said.

"No," Kai commanded harshly. He breathed in heavily and lowered his voice. "They're happy right now. Just let them enjoy every moment they have with Bill." He looked towards the clinic with a sad expression. "I have the best lab in California working on strengthening the cure as we speak. I don't want Zoey or Ellis worrying at all. For all we know, he could be part of that lucky fifty-percent that avoids getting the disease."

Natara shook her head sadly. "I really, really hope so, Kai."


	11. Chapter Ten: Strader's Delivery

_**I am not too impressed with this chapter, but I wanted to post something before I go back to school.**_

_**I'm not going to do Review Replies today because I really don't feel like it. But thank you, NiekaWow, mozzi-girl, The Beautiful Filth and ZeDancingHobbit! I appreciate the reviews. As to everyone else, I really appreciate the continued support. :)**_

_**Anyway...I hope you enjoy this short, quickly written chapter. ^^ **_

_**Thank you again!**_

* * *

**Chapter Ten: Strader's Delivery**

_It all rode by in a blur, but he knew what was going on._

_Taken hostage by the gruesome infection, Strader and his wife hid in their home on the outskirts of San Francisco, where an Undead Town had been formed. Undead Towns were small areas occupied by a large group of Infected beings. These beings lived in the shadows, trying to avoid death and keep loved ones safe. Even though the entire population was Infected, they held a certain human like quality; order. It was as if they had created their own form of government. They relied heavily on Hunters, Infected beings with incredibly strength within their legs to hop great distances, and razor sharp fangs and claws to attack prey. Hunters scouted larger cities for any survivors to take down and bring back to the Undead Towns. They also carried news of other cities and individuals of greater importance, such as the Carriers. Hunters were the only semi articulate zombies._

_The day everything fell apart, a Hunter was making his rounds, bearing ground-breaking news. His last stop was Strader's home. _

_Strader and his wife were doing nothing but sharing insightful grunts and struggled laughter. They tried to make their life in the Undead Town as normal as possible, though it was hard when you were constantly starving and unable to share words. They were one of the very few Infected beings who were able to control themselves to a certain point. _

_The Hunter hopped through the open door of the Strader household. The couple looked up expectantly and the Hunter spoke._

"_Cure has been found," he growled. "Carriers approaching cities and Undead Towns in hopes of spreading cure."_

_Strader growled under his breath and grunted, urging the Hunter to carry on._

"_They will shoot. Hide away."_

_And that was that. The Hunter pounced away, leaving the couple in alarm. They were eager for the cure, but they knew how dangerous the situation was. Though they maintained order in their town, whenever something with a heartbeat entered, they were all reduced to the beasts that they were. Much like a vampire craved blood, zombies craved fresh meat._

"_H-h-hide," Strader struggled to say and his wife nodded._

_He couldn't recall the next events in full detail, but he knew his home had been invaded when his wife ran away from their special hiding place, screeching and determined to pounce. He roared after her, but she ignored him completely. He heard a gun shot and a soft thud, knowing instantly what had happened. Scared for his life, he kept hidden. His attempts were to no avail, though. Soon after, the survivors, turning out to be the famous Carriers, threw open the door of the closet he had been hiding in and seized him. He thrashed about, but their hold was too strong. They dragged him through his home, and past the body of his wife, sprawled across the ground. One bullet wound pierced her cranium, and he knew she would never be getting back up._

"_You'll be okay," a man next to Strader said. He was surprised this odd stranger wasn't terrified of him. "I promise you." Later he would find out that the man was Kai Kalaba._

"Doctor Strader!" a woman within a sea of reporters called, waving her pad and pen in the air. "Doctor Strader, over here!"

Strader shook the haunting memory from his mind and nodded to the young reporter. "Yes, ma'am?" He had called a press conference just outside of the White House a few days after the President had been killed.

"Several of my colleagues and I," she began, "are wondering why you banned the use of guns. We need to defend ourselves, but you refuse to allow us that safety. Why?"

Strader cleared his throat, side-glancing at Jeremy, who stood armed beside him, stone-faced. He returned his full attention towards the reporter. "Violence is not the answer."

The sea of reporters began shouting disagreements. Taking this as a threat to his 'campaign', Strader held his hands up. "Let me ask you all this; how many of you lost family in the first infection due to the misuse of a firearm?"

Several hands shot into the air, and he nodded slowly before raising his own hand. "I too, have lost someone I loved. I wish to prevent further loss, which is why I have brought my company, VOPA, into this. They will be responsible for controlling the outbreak and taking those who have become infected into captivity so the cure can be administered into their bodies. This is why I ask each and every one of you who are standing before me or tuning in on this conference to report any sign of infection you or a loved one may be experiencing."

Reporters scribbled down his answer and resumed to shout questions. Strader eyed the audience before picking out a young male, waving his hand.

"You, sir in the back," Strader called and the man responded,

"Have the Carriers been notified of this impending disaster, and/or are they finding a way to combat it?"

Strader clenched his fist and shook his head. "Unfortunately, our contact with the Carriers has been…obliterated. We have sent search teams to their homes, but they are not present. We do not know if they have a plan to further advance the current cure."

"So," the man continued, "who is going to save us?"

"VOPA, of course," he grumbled and raised his hands. "That is all the questions I am taking. God bless America."

He turned his back on the roaring group of reporters and made his way towards his car, Jeremy following behind.

"You said," Jeremy began, but Strader cut him off.

"I know what I said," he barked. "And every time you bring it up, I consider giving her just an extra dose."

"But you promised that you'd save her!" Jeremy shouted. The group of reporters turned to face the two, and Strader gripped Jeremy's jacket, dragging him further and further away from the rising suspicion.

He threw the sniper into their car and crawled in. "I know what I promised," Strader growled. "And I know how much this girl means to you. However, it's obviously distracting you from what you have been commanded to do. I have told you over and over that she'll be fine…As long as you don't pester me about her."

"I expect you to keep your end of the deal," Jeremy growled, his voice barely audible. Strader clenched his fist and pulled out a walkie-talkie. Jeremy immediately regretted saying what he had said.

"Give Blaise another dose," he muttered and Jeremy tried to snatch the device away, but Strader blocked the advance. "Make that two. Also, prepare my jet. I need to drop off a package at VOPA HQ." He side-glanced at Jeremy. "I expect a new sniper by dawn." Jeremy's eyes widened.

"Yes, Sir," a man on the other line replied. Strader pocketed the walkie-talkie and stared ahead.

"Those doses are going to kill her," Jeremy hissed. "You promised…"

"And you promised to help me," Strader retorted calmly. "I only fulfill my end of the deal if the other end has been received."

Jeremy was silent, before shaking his head and muttering, "What's going to happen to me?"

"Oh that's simple," Strader stated. "You're going to go where all the other traitors go…"

"And where's that?"

"The VOPA HQ on the outskirts of Los Angeles."

Jeremy raised an eyebrow. "Isn't that where…"

Strader nodded. "I'm sure you'll make friends very quickly."


	12. Chapter Eleven: The Shortage

_**I am starting to give up. Smh.**_

_**REVIEW REPLIES: (These are going to be really short and sweet; sorry!)**_

_**-The Beautiful Filth**_  
_**Hmm...I believe he would be referred to as a Doctor, though professor can work as well. Hehe! I am excited to continue writing for him so I can answer the rest of your questions! Thank you for reading and reviewing! :D**_

_**-ZeDancingHobbit**_  
_**I cannot promise the safety of ANY of the characters in this story. They are in the zombie apocalypse after all. :) Thanks for reading and reviewing! I appreciate it!**_

_**-mozzi-girl (The Beast)**_  
_**You just blew my mind. That all was completely unintentional, but I guess I can make it part of the story, since I like the continuity of it all. I should really stop changing the story in review replies, but you give me amazing ideas, and I can't help it! ^^' Thanks for reading and reviewing! I appreciate it! :D**_

_**Okay, quick note, I just got back into school and if homework is like how it was on this first day, then I doubt I'll have much freedom this school year. And the thought of going to college in two short years just dawned on me and I really want to work on getting my grades up as much as possible and I have a job to maintain as well, so you all know what that means. I'm going to be gone for awhile. I'll post as much as I can, but I can't promise anything.**_

_**Also! I am running out of ideas! I have started the next chapter over and over again, but none of the ideas that I have have been working out for me! If you guys have any opinions on how the next chapter should go, please feel free to tell me! In fact, I am more than just encouraging, I'm BEGGING! I like this story and I don't want to have to take it down because I hit a wall. **_

_**And another short note; how do you guys feel about a spin-off to the Officer Diggs series (Officer Diggs, Hostage, Minion, Family Relations...) about Jay Lynn? I have an idea...somewhat. I really want to try it, but I'm just worried that I'm already extending the story past its breaking point. If you guys like the idea or even have some thoughts about what I should put in, please tell me! I'd love to hear from you all! :D**_

_**That's about it! I'll see you guys when I can and I hope you all have a wonderful rest of the week! :D **_

_**Thank you!**_

* * *

**Chapter Eleven: The Shortage**

The next few days at the camp were spent arguing and worrying about impending attacks. Only one other night we faced a small horde of Infected. They dragged their bony corpses along the edges of camp and moaned loudly, as if trying to challenge us. To say the least, it worked. Nick went insane from the noise and fired the first shot, which sparked a movement in the horde. Natara and Nick decided to face this horde alone while the rest of us watched from the warehouse.

News about Bill's health was cloudy. Kai would be quite happy one day, explaining how some tests had proved negative, but shortly after, he would mourn as if Bill had already became Infected. His strange behavior confused the new parents and we had no choice but to tell them that their son had a fifty-percent chance of contracting the virus. They weren't too happy about that.

To help Zoey and Ellis out, we took turns watching over Bill so they could get some work done. Zoey was relieved to finally carry her own weight and not have to worry about putting strain on a baby. She did most of the work, though Mike did his best to help. Allison and George had handled his injury to a point where he wouldn't become Infected, but the number of activities he could do were very limited.

Today, Mike confronted us on a matter that was of the upmost importance.

"We're running out of food," he barked from his lawn chair. "Our water supply has also been cut short."

John V. nodded slowly. "I say we send two groups out; one for water and the other for food."

"And a few of you guys should stay behind to watch over Mike and the baby," George added and the rest of us nodded. I turned to look at Natara, who was currently watching over Bill. She shrugged towards me and I refocused my attention towards Mike.

"You guys know I'd just LOVE to help you," Mike growled, rolling his eyes, "but Nurse Allison and Doctor George won't let me leave this damn warehouse."

"It's not like you're the only one who's facing problems," Ken grumbled.

"So what, your girlfriend is gone," Mike retorted in mock sympathy, "do you want a blankie and bedtime story to go with it? Look kid…"

Ken started to charge towards Mike, but Coach held him back.

"He needs a good punch to the face," Ken spat and Coach shook his head.

"The only thing that'll cause is trouble, Brother," he replied. "We're all on edge…"

"Don't you dare start this crap with us," Joey hissed from a corner. He didn't care for us too much. He would prefer to stay a few feet from us, as if he were worried we were infected. "We've been living in this…this crap-hole for more than ten weeks. Of course we're all on edge. In fact, we've gone straight off the edge weeks ago!" He kicked away a discarded metal bowl. Leilani sighed heavily and reached over to comfort Joey, but he shrugged her away. "I don't need anyone to comfort me right now, Leilani," he muttered.

"Coach is right though," Allison spoke up. She stepped ahead so she the others could see her clearly. "We fought, but never like this. I understand we all just want things to go back to normal, but we gotta accept that it's never going to be that way."

"Can we just discuss the matter at hand?" John V. continued. We looked towards him and he nodded. "Thank you. Anyway, I was thinking we have Carriers on both teams, assuming we may run into some Infected out there."

"Allison," Mike began, "do you want to lead one group. And Zoey, do you want to lead the other?"

The women were quick to respond with a short nod. Ellis tried to convince Zoey to stay back, but she shoved him off.

"Alright," Allison began, "I guess I'll take both Johns, Joey, Rochelle, Coach, Louis and Kai to go get water."

"And I'll take," Zoey skimmed over the remainder of the Carriers and Colonists, "Mal, Natara, Ken, Leilani, Francis, Nick and George."

"What about me?" Ellis asked and Zoey smiled.

"You can stay behind with Mike and the baby," she replied. Ellis looked defeated, but had learned before it was difficult to argue with his wife. He took Bill from Natara's arms and disappeared into the bedrooms. Mike groaned as he stood from the chair.

"Alright," he began, "try to be home by sunset."

"Don't worry," Allison replied and we all rushed out of the warehouse.

-C.O.D-

"I hope Ellis is okay," Natara muttered. We were digging through abandoned houses, trying to find anything we could use for food. Every single house we hit seemed completely dry. I threw an empty cereal box aside and sighed.

"I'm sure he's fine," I replied and pulled a plastic container from its resting place on a shelf. "Besides, with all the women around, he hasn't really had a chance to be with his son."

Natara laughed. "He's a cute baby! You can't blame us."

Francis walked past us, grumbling about how much he missed all of the greasy, fast-food places he had gotten to know so well from parading around the country on his motorcycle. "There isn't anything in this house," he shouted.

"Shut up!" Nick replied from a neighboring room. "Hey Zoey…Are these packing peanuts edible?"

"Of course not, you idiot," Francis called out and ripped a couch cushion away and smirked. "What about a half-eaten Cheeto?"

Natara gagged and resumed tearing through cabinets. "We have some cans in here," she called, "but I'm pretty sure it's all dog food."

Ken charged out of one room, his hands placed on his head. He looked like he was about to shoot someone. Ken approached me, Leilani following closely behind.

"I am this close to emptying a clip on every half-wit in this house," Ken hissed and Natara raised an eyebrow. He caught her action and shook his head. "Excluding you, Nat."

"Thank you," she replied and opened each can to discover that they were, indeed, filled with dog food. Frustrated, she tossed the can aside and continued to rummage.

"What's wrong?" I asked Ken and before he could respond, Leilani approached the two of us.

"Where did you put it?" she demanded.

Ken rolled his eyes and faced her. "I. Don't. Have. Any. Food."

Nick came out of one room holding a box full to the brim with packing peanuts and George had a few cans in his possession.

"This house is empty," George concluded, "aside from these few cans I found. Let's move to the next house."

Nick dropped his box. "I am sick and tired of searching for nothing," he growled. "I haven't eaten a proper meal in a long time and if you think I'm bad now just wait until we don't have any food left whatsoever."

"Would you all just shut up?!" Zoey yelled, and sure enough, it worked. The house fell silent. "Thank you. Now listen to me; I am sick and tired of you all fighting. I know we're hungry, but with the attitude we all have, we're not going to accomplish anything."

"Where are we going to get food with all of these empty houses, Zoe?" I asked. "I hate to agree with everyone else, but this scavenging trip has proved itself to be a huge kick to the ass. We've gone through how many house and all we have found were three stupid cans of food?"

Nick groaned loudly. "Let's just go back…"

"No," Natara responded. "Zoey's right; we need to change our attitude. Maybe we're just not looking in the right place."

"Right place…" George muttered and his face lit up. "Of course!" He turned to Leilani. "Hey, do you still know where that citrus tree is?"

Leilani smiled. "Of course," she said and smacked her forehead. "There still should be plenty of fruit."

"Citrus…Tree?" Ken asked and Francis shook his head.

"A tree that produces citrus fruit, dimwit."

Ken raised his fist, but George stopped the brawl before it broke out. "Come on, guys! We'll be eating again in no time."

-C.O.D-

It was the most beautiful thing I had seen since I got here. That's probably why it was guarded by a large iron gate. It was a large, leafy green tree with pounds and pounds of oranges weighing the thin branches down. George threw a burlap sack over the gate and began climbing over, followed by Leilani, Zoey and Natara. Ken decided he would catch oranges that Francis, Nick and I threw to him while sitting on top of the fence.

I was already sitting upon the fence, focused on one particular orange near the top of the tree, when Leilani screamed.

"What's wrong?" Ken asked and I looked over to see what had startled her; hoping for it to be a snake or rat. My face drained of all color. "Seriously," Ken continued, "what's going on?"

Lying right underneath the citrus tree was a young man of Native American heritage. He was scratched up pretty badly and a few of his bones did look broken. Something about him set me off. He didn't look like a bad guy, but he looked like someone I knew…Or should know. George immediately knelt done and pressed his fingers against the man's neck.

"He's still alive," George announced. "Thank goodness." He turned to Leilani. "You, Zoey, Natara, and Nick stay here to collect oranges. Ken, Mal, Francis and I will take this guy back to the warehouse."

"Are you sure that's a good idea?" Nick asked. "For all we know, he could be a serial killer."

"No," I muttered. "I've seen this kid before."

Natara looked up at me raising an eyebrow. "What? When?"

"He was in the newspaper a few months ago…Something about being a sharp shooter, or whatnot."

"So…Is he trouble?" Francis asked and I shrugged.

"There's only one way to find out."


	13. Chapter Twelve: Blaise

_**I feel I could have done better with this chapter, but I really wanted to get past this part in the story...**_

_**REVIEW REPLIES:**_

_**-The Beautiful Filth**_  
_**^^ I love Jer-Jer! Truth is, however, I am not a Blaisebird shipper. I mean, I used to be, but then RedChen came along and...Yeah! ^^' But a lot of you guys are Blaisebird shippers, so why the heck not! ^^ And yeah! I'm going to be completely honest and say that so far, high school is pretty crappy. There are some classes I really enjoy (like French, Biology, Health, PE, and English ((for sure!)) ) but the homework is absolutely crazy. So I feel you on this one. ^^' I hope you have a fantastic school year, though! :D Thanks for reading and reviewing!**_

_**-NiekaWow**_  
_**Danieka! *tackles* Hey! No worries on not reviewing before. I completely understand! :) I loved the searching scene, ohmigosh. And I still need to get The Last of Us! I don't have a PS3, BUT I do have a job now, so I might buy one and then get the game! It sounds so amazing! Thank you so much for reading and reviewing! I appreciate it!**_

_**-mozzi-girl (The Beast!)**_  
_**Thank you so much for reading and reviewing! I really appreciate it!**_

_**Alright, so here's what I've decided to do.**_  
_**For once, I'm actually serious about school work. This is why I haven't had the time to post until a few weeks after, because the homework has been crazy, and I really want to take my time on it. My self confidence levels have also been really low lately, so I'm taking time to start improving that, such as getting into shape and start losing weight, not only to look better, but just to feel overall healthier. This will take up some time too. Add chores and catching up on Supernatural on top of that, and I'm probably not going to be updating as much as I'd like. (And all of next week, I'm going to be taking my final Driver's Ed road and range courses so I can finally get my license. So next week is definitely out of the picture for updating this story.)**_

_**I am getting a new laptop though! I'm (hopefully) going to order it next week, and then receive it (possibly) the following week. This laptop has made it nearly impossible to write lately (and access the Interwebs). So, yeah! Let's hope on that!**_

_**Anyways, I just want to, again, thank you all for the support and kind words you have given me over these last few years. It really means a lot and I hope you guys know that. Even just clicking on this story and skimming through the chapters means so much to me.**_

_**I hope you all have a wonderful week and I'll see you all soon! :D**_

* * *

**Chapter Twelve: Blaise**

The guy was out cold until later that night when everyone had returned from their scavenging. We had over two-hundred oranges and about fifty gallons of water. It wasn't enough, but at least we had something.

Allison and George spent dinner time trying to talk to the guy, but he said he couldn't remember much. Everything was still a blur. He spent the night in the medical clinic.

The next morning, I confronted Allison about our new guest.

"When I talked to him this morning," she began, "he seemed a little more upset than when we found him. It was like he was remembering how he ended up in the citrus tree." She poured oatmeal into a small bowl and gave it to John C., who flashed a grateful smile before moving to join the others near his work place. Leilani, Francis, and Ellis were looking over blueprints that John C. had set out; something about an escape vehicle. It wasn't safe to leave yet, but when the time came, we wanted fast transportation.

"Let me take his breakfast to him," I offered. "Maybe I can find something of use."

Allison shrugged and gave me an extra bowl. "Alright, but I can't guarantee anything. You should take someone else with you; just incase he turns hostile."

I shook my head. "I'm a cop," I replied, "I'm sure I'll be just fine."

I took the extra bowl and made my way to the medical clinic. George walked out of the room, bagging some medical supplies. When we made eye contact he smiled weakly.

"Looks like our friend is suffering from a mild concussion," he informed. "Are you going in to talk to him?"

I nodded and displayed the second bowl of oatmeal. "I have his breakfast too."

George nodded. "Alright; sounds good. Just call either Allison or me in if something goes wrong."

We parted ways and I stepped into the clinic. The man was looking at the ceiling, his gaze confused. When he noticed me, he looked a little surprised, but didn't recoil as I got closer.

"Hey," I greeted. "What's your name, again?"

The man thought for a moment. "I think it's Jeremy…That's the first name that comes to my mind, anyway." He looked at the ceiling once more. "Was I in an accident?"

I shrugged and sat next to him, handing him his bowl. "I don't know, Jeremy. Do you remember anything?"

Jeremy shook his head. "Not much. I do remember falling, but I don't know how or where." He looked down at his oatmeal in disgust and placed it aside. "Do you guys have anything else?"

I chuckled. "It's either that or you wait until dinner." Jeremy shook his head and picked the bowl up once more and took a bite, cringing, and then continuing to finish his meal. "So…You're an officer?"

Jeremy shrugged. "I know I did some police work, but for the last few weeks, I've been doing something different. I don't remember what it was exactly."

I nodded slowly. "You don't remember anything?"

He shook his head. "What are you guys doing here? You look really familiar…Like celebrity familiar. Why are you roughing it out in this crap-hole?"

I sighed heavily. "I ask myself the same question," I muttered under my breath. "We're actually here to take care of a national emergency, relating to the zombie incident that occurred seven years ago."

Jeremy's face instantly blanched as if everything he had forgotten had been slapped across his face with the subtlety of a brick. He tried to get out of his bed, but I held him down. The last thing we needed was for him to hurt himself further.

"Whoa! Whoa! Take it easy, Jeremy!" I called and he struggled to push me away.

"I have to go," he growled. "Please, just let me go!"

"Just settle down and tell me where you need to go," I commanded. "I can help you if you just stay calm, alright?"

It took another minute or so of continuous struggling, before he finally gave up and collapsed back into his bed. He shook his head, looking as if her were trying to hold back tears.

"Jeremy…Why do you need to go," I asked.

"He has her…He has Blaise…"

Now it was my turn to go white. "B-Blaise? Blaise who? Who is Blaise?"

"Blaise Corso. She's some cop I met awhile ago," he recalled. "Well…Not just any cop. We had just started dating…Or at least what she considered dating. My boss kidnapped her for blackmail purposes."

"Damn," I muttered and released my hold on Jeremy. He darted upright and started to exit the room. "Wait a sec, Jeremy."

He turned around. "What? I don't have much time…He's going to infect her, and then…Then…" he shook his head sadly. "She'll be like every other zombie in the streets. She'll die because of me."

"I'm not completely stopping you from going to save her," I assured, and stood up slowly. "I'll come with you. But you have to tell me this; who is your boss?"

Jeremy thought for a moment, before shaking his head and sitting back down. "I can't remember."

Any hopes of finding my long-lost friend were soon crushed by these three words; _I can't remember. _There was a chance of trying to kick-start his memory with little trinkets, but there was about 7 billion possible choices of humans that could had kidnapped Blaise and used her for blackmail.

"Get some more rest," I said and made my way to the door. "We'll find Blaise, I promise that much. But right now, we can't do anything about it."

Jeremy nodded slowly and I exited the room.

-C.O.D-

"Good morning ladies," I said, strolling over to the women of our group. They were sitting around a table, creating small talk of all sorts. Natara smiled up at me, as did the rest of the women. "Can I steal Natara from you guys?"

"Of course," Zoey replied, subtly flashing a smile towards my wife. "We'll talk later, Nat!"

Natara stood up and nodded towards the other women and followed me outside of the warehouse.

"What's up?" she asked, folding her arms across her chest.

"What," I said, smirking, "can I not have some time alone with my lovely, beautiful better half?" I wrapped my arms around her waist and she did the same around my neck.

"Of course you can spend time with me. You just look worried, that's all." She placed her head against my chest and I rocked her lightly. "How did your talk with Jeremy go?"

I nodded slowly. "It went rather well," I admitted. "I mean…He's regained a little more of his memory; at least enough for us to try to help him." I hesitated before continuing my thought. "Nat…He knows Blaise."

Natara had heard Ken and I talk about our old friend, who had mysteriously disappeared after the apocalypse ended. We, (Ken and I) devoted two years of our life after the apocalypse to find her, but our searches proved worthless. When Katie was born, I decided to stop, hoping she'd just find her way home. It was a huge relief to learn that she was alive, but a blow to the gut when Jeremy told me she was in trouble and at possible risk of becoming infected.

"Jeremy told me she's in trouble," I informed and Natara nodded slowly. "What do we do?"

"We do what we can do," Natara began, and smiled. "We build our way out of here and get back into the fight."

-C.O.D-

**You Are Now Blaise Corso**

Your head aches, as does the rest of your body. You don't remember the events leading up to your capture, except for the worried expression of your boyfriend, Jeremy. Well, you didn't really consider him a boyfriend; you weren't ready to take that step just yet, but he still meant everything to you. Remembering his pained expression hurts even more than the physical pain.

You can't seek out your surroundings; it's all too dark. You can hear skittering across the floor, probably from a clan of starving mice. _As long as it's not spiders, _you think wearily and place your hands on the concrete floor, feeling your way around the prison Strader has locked you in. The walls are made of rough, jagged stone, and the concrete is scared with multiple cracks. There are bars, much like a jail cell. You stop when your hands brush across what you guess is a toilet, and sit back down, trying to regain your memory. You remember something about a liquid pouring down your throat; maybe a drugged drink? Whatever it was, it has obstructed your memory and left you with the worst hangover ever.

You hear footsteps treading lightly in an area you cannot see. Within seconds, a door is thrown open and the sudden burst of light causes you to stumble backwards, shielding your sensitive eyes. You let out a shriek that is, oddly, not your own. Or you at least thought it wasn't yours. It did come out of your mouth, right?

A tall, thin man comes into sight once your eyes have adjusted. He is very professional looking, with a long doctor's coat draped on his shoulders and his bold glasses perched on the bridge of his nose. The man is very familiar looking, but you can't exactly place in your memory where you have seen him before.

"Blaise Corso," he sighed dramatically. "If only your little boyfriend just listened to me!"

You open your mouth to demand what the man has done with Jeremy, but no words come out…Just gurgled screams of fury.

"What?" the man teased.

Panic overwhelms you as you try to find an explanation as to why you have lost your voice. Maybe what you had been drugged with was much more than a simple party drug...

You try to talk again, this time managing one word. _Tell_. You meant to say, "Tell me what's going on or I'll tear your throat out," but the man only got a portion of the message.

"I'm sorry, Princess," he replied and stepped closer to the cage. He slowly knelt down to match your height. You want so badly to lash out at him, causing him only a quarter of the pain you felt at the moment, but you can't pull yourself to do it. His smile only grows, and it becomes colder and colder. A sudden wave of fear washes over you and you start to regain memory of what you had ingested. He can see the realization flash in your eyes, as he leans in closer to whisper,

"I don't speak zombie."


	14. Chapter Thirteen: The Package

_**Again, I have to say this is NOT my best work. Hopefully the next few chapters will be a bit better. After all, I'm finally done with my Writer's Block!**_

_**REVIEW REPLIES: **_

_**The Beautiful Filth:  
Now that you mention it, that wasn't as good as it could have been, but I'm glad you have your own opinion on if Blaise is really a zombie or if it's Strader just playing tricks. And I more than agree with you about the homework. Holy crap. At least you're almost out, right? ^^  
Thank you for the luck...wishing...On my driver's test. I passed Range (completely failed on Serpentine though...^^') and now I'm waiting for my Road dates.  
I hope you have a wonderful rest of the week and good luck with school stuff! :D Thanks for reading, sharing your opinion, and reviewing! I appreciate it!**_

_**mozzi-girl (The Beast!):  
Thank you so much! I appreciate the kind words, and I really appreciate you taking time to read and review! It means a lot to me! :) Have a wonderful day, you fabulous human being!**_

_**ZeDancingHobbit:  
^^ Thanks for reading and reviewing and I hope you enjoy the chapters to come!**_

_**NiekaWow:  
No worries my friend! How is your holiday going so far? Have you done anything interesting? :)  
And about the job...Hehe, I don't do it anymore. It was really just cleaning the house since both of my parents work a lot, but after I got my laptop...I stopped. ^^' Toby! Oh my goodness, have you seen his GTA V letsplays? He is absolutely hilarious! Oh my gosh! xD But yes...Completely hopeless! I'll definitely check him out when I get the time!  
I'm so happy you're enjoying this! :D Thank you for reading and reviewing and I hope you have a wonderful rest of the trip! :D**_

_**Anyways! I just want to say that this story is going to end soon. I have lost all my ideas and I see no main plot point in this entire thing. But I'll make sure it ends with a bang! :)**_

_**Also, this is something new I'm doing, but since I have a new laptop, my Sims 3 works a lot nicer and smoother, and the new editing program I have is pretty okay, I was thinking of doing something new with my YouTube channel. Basically I want to make music videos of people's fanfiction. If you're interested, visit my profile for more details! :D**_

_**Alright! Here's Chapter Thirteen! Please enjoy and I promise the next few chapters will be a lot better! :D**_

* * *

**Chapter Thirteen: The Package and Realization**

Spirits at the Colony were at an all-time low. Work on our escape vehicle had ceased and most of us were lounging around, trying to avoid the rest of the universe. Even Mike, who had been so focused on making sure every one of us ended the day with grimy hands and faces, was often catching some extra sleep in his lawn chair.

I think we all just missed how things used to be. I'm sure the Colonists wanted to go home and abandon trying to fight for survival, and I knew that the Carriers and I were sick of being so far away from civilization without any zombies to actually fight. We had very small, defenseless hordes that occasionally crossed our paths, but the battle only took a few coordinated hits and skilled shots to end their slow approach.

I never thought I would say this, but I missed the actual apocalypse. At least then, we had something to fear instead of starving to death.

Jeremy had gotten a lot better since I talked to him. He was starting to remember everything...Aside from who took Blaise. He was frustrated because of it, but he couldn't do much besides wait. He did tell us, however, that he was tossed from a helicopter at a very low altitude so the fall wouldn't kill him. Whether it was intentional that the pilot chose the VOPA camp or not, we didn't know.

The sun was high in the sky today, indicating summer's arrival. It was another day without much progress as most of us sat or slept. John C. and John V. were the only ones looking over blueprints of the escape vehicle they had been so focused on completing. They never did more than just study the blueprints, though.

Bill was doing great and showing signs of a healthy development, which eased Zoey and Ellis's fears. The young parents were able to spend a lot more time with their baby, now that work had been stopped for the unseeable future.

Mike's wound he had received during the zombie attack was healing nicely. Kai had one of the Carrier's give up their blood to help formulate the cure we had used for the last apocalypse. Mike was still awfully pale, but the blood did stop the virus from completely overtaking his entire body.

Natara, Ken, and Nick seemed to be more upset than anyone else though, and the reason was quite obvious. Our loved ones were still gone and we didn't know if we'd see them any time soon. I tried to remain strong, for Natara's sake, but every now and then, I'd remember my promise to Katie of being with her in just a few days, and burning down her hopes.

Around mid-afternoon, I was helping Leilani prepare lunch. It wasn't too grand; just some oranges and fish. We didn't stop scavenging, but every place we visited was so barren. The only places we could rely on were the citrus tree and the L.A. River that cut through the Colony. Leilani wasn't a quiet person, which I was grateful for. I wasn't in the mood for starting a conversation at all.

"So Mal...I heard you were a cop. Do you have any good stories?"

I shook my head.

"What? Every cop has a good story to share! What about your first case, huh?"

"I don't remember," I lied.

Leilani shook her head as she dug her fingernails into an orange and peeled away it's surface. "What about the day you and Natara got married? I haven't heard that story."

I sighed and stopped peeling my orange. "It was a very small wedding," I replied. "Nat invited her parents, her sister, and her sister's boyfriend. I invited my sister, her husband, and her two kids. The other Carriers also came along. We didn't want anything too extravagant, because at the time, we were still very 'popular' among the nation. After all, this was about a year and half after the apocalypse ended."

Leilani smiled. "That's very cute! What about your proposal, that has to be even cuter; a stud like you must have had something very sweet planned!"

I shook my head. "Nah...I just asked her to marry me during Zoey and Ellis's wedding. It was kind of an impulse thing; I didn't even have a ring."

"That's still very cute," Leilani commented. "You two are very cute. I..."

Her voice was drowned out by the steady beat of helicopter propellers, alarming whoever had been awake, and disturbing those who had been asleep. The entire warehouse seemed to vibrate as the helicopter glided over, and hesitated. Before we knew it, we heard a loud _CRASH!_

Ken and Ellis ran out of the warehouse immediately and I excused myself to follow. Both Natara and Zoey joined me as we caught up with Ken and Ellis, standing over the splintered remains of a crate. Dented cans of food were scattered among the warehouse grounds, along with four envelopes slowly fluttering towards the ground. Three were signed to an individual person, and one was for the Colonists and Carriers. (And they were even caring enough to add "+ Mal"). The first thing we did was gather the canned goods (there were about twenty five cans). As soon as the food was stored away, Zoey gathered the notes and distributed them among their owners. I was shocked to see one addressed to Natara and I, scribed in a child's hand-writing. My heart skipped a beat and Natara reached over to hold onto me, also overcome with the same emotions I felt. Ken and Nick also received letters, and Zoey took it upon herself to read the one addressed to everyone.

"_Dear Colonists, Carriers, and Malachi,_" Zoey read with a growing smile, "_Stella told us how bad the situation seemed at the VOPA camp and the only thing I could think of doing was sending you as much food as a singular crate can carry. Unfortunately, it wasn't a lot. But I hope whatever you receive is just what you need. Also enclosed are three other letters for Mal and Natara, Ken, and Nick, from your loved ones._

"_I provide you with my best wishes! I will try to send weekly 'care' packages. Good luck!_

"_Raj Mansingh._"

Nick didn't wait for anything else to be said. He tore open his letter and began reading. Ken followed and I looked to Natara. I didn't want to do this here, with so many people watching. Natara placed her hands over mine and slowly began opening the envelope.

I wish we hadn't, because as soon as I saw the crayon red forming a large heart and crudely drawn pictures of Natara, Katie, and I holding hands, I realized how much I missed my little girl. Nick must've felt the same way because he was trying his best to hold back his cries. He stormed back into the warehouse. Everyone was smart enough not to follow.

Ken, on the outside, looked pretty stoic as he examined the letter, smiling every so often. He tucked it in his pocket as soon as he was done and looked towards Natara and I. We silently read the letter.

"_Dear Mommy and Daddy,_

"_Gramma and Grampa have been very good to me, and aunt Neha too! I love you sooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo oooo much! Please come home soon!_

"_Love, Katie!"_

Underneath Katie's heavily edited message, there was a note from Neha.

"_Hey Mal and Nat. Katie and the rest of us are doing just great. I don't want you to worry about her at all. But please do come home soon! There haven't been any reports of a zombie attack, (aside from the President) so I assume you guys are doing a great job and won't be gone for much longer!_

"_Mom, Dad, Katie and I love you both very much and we can't wait to see you again!_

"_Love, Neha Mansingh."_

I would have chuckled, but what Neha had wrote about there not being any reports of a zombie attack bothered me.

"What does she mean?" I asked Natara instantly. "About the attacks?"

Natara cleared her throat, wiping away any stray tears, clearly still immersed in our daughter's note. "Um...I'm not sure, Mal. What did she say?"

I pointed at the line, rereading what my sister-in-law had written. "_'There haven't been any reports of a zombie attack...'_ Doesn't that sound just a bit weird?"

"I don't get what you're poking at," Natara replied and I shook my head.

"The reason we're stuck in this crap-hole is because of the uprising zombie apocalypse. The President has been killed, and we've faced maybe two or three hordes at the most...And there's no media coverage on any of it. The outside world seems to be pretty uninfected."

Zoey must have been eavesdropping, because the next thing I knew, she had forced herself into our conversation. "There's no Infection?"

The other Carriers and Colonists started to crowd around Natara and I, tuned in for the rest of the conversation, whether we liked it or not.

"According to my sister," Natara began slowly, "the outside world has been facing no Infection."

"I'm sure the nation wouldn't give any news coverage," Mike grunted and Rochelle shook her head.

"I'm afraid your wrong, Michael," she replied and Mike raised an eyebrow at the use of his full name. "News coverage of the zombie apocalypse is manna from Heaven for any reporter looking for a promotion. Why do you think there are so many reports about cannibals and zombie drugs?"

Mike rolled his eyes. "Fine. Let's take what the Intern is saying into mind...I still don't see the problem."

"I do," I muttered. My sudden rage got the best of me and I kicked the nearest stray, empty can. "Don't you see what VOPA did to us? We've been set up!"

Kai raised his hand and shook it vigorously before Natara called upon him. "Strader wouldn't do that," he said immediately. "There must be an apocalypse going on somewhere!"

"Looks like your little boyfriend lied to you," Ken growled and Kai shook his head.

"Strader wouldn't do that! I gave him my blood! I wouldn't give my blood to a dirty, rotten, lyin'..."

"Well you did," I replied gruffly. "I mean, look at everything we've been through these past few weeks. It all makes sense why he would send us here to a _fake _camp instead of an actual HQ!"

"I still don't believe you guys," Kai muttered. "Strader's a good guy."

"He's using us," I shouted. "He's been putting us through _Hell_, Kai! We're starving to death, we're losing all of our energy, and the only zombie attacks that have been recorded this year were either at this camp, or somewhere where Strader got involved. We've been tricked, just admit it!"

Kai opened his mouth to argue, but he was stopped by Ellis.

"And this isn't the end," Ellis muttered and gestured towards the sky. Flying towards us were several, cherry-red helicopters. It was hard to make out, but I was sure I could see small machine guns leaning out of the open doors.

"Aw hell," I muttered and grabbed Natara's hand. "Everybody inside now!"


	15. Chapter Fourteen: Time to Leave

_**Hey! I don't have time for Review Replies today, but thank you to ZeDancingHobbit, mozzi-girl, NiekaWow, and The Beautiful Filth! :D **_

_**Sorry if this doesn't that much sense. If you guys have any questions, feel free to ask and I'll try to answer them in the next chapter.**_

_**Thanks again! :D **_

* * *

**Chapter Fourteen: Time to Leave**

John C. was the last to skitter inside before they started opening their fire upon the warehouse.

"C'mon," George called, "the clinic will keep us safe for now!" He dashed ahead, the rest of us following behind as quickly as we could. Since the clinic was basically a small, steel hut inside of the warehouse, the bullets wouldn't be able to penetrate the walls or ceiling. We would be safe...Until the intruders decided to use their brains and get on their feet.

Bill, obviously frightened by the sudden commotion, screeched loudly, curling his fingers into fists and waving them about frantically. Zoey tried to hush him, but to no avail. Each cry he sent out grew in volume and it be a matter of minutes before our intruders could pinpoint our location.

"Shut it up," Nick snapped. He fell into step behind us as soon as he heard the machine gun fire.

"How about you shut your mouth," Francis retorted.

"Don't you dare start fighting," Natara hissed. "Not one more word from either of you!"

"Hold on," Allison muttered and held her hand up. The whir of the helicopter blades grew louder, but the machine gun fire was either stopped or had been drowned out. "They're landing," she stated, a horrified look on her face.

"Where's an emergency exit when you need it," Mike growled and started rummaging around the room, pulling scalpels and other small tools from draws and equipping each of us with at least one. "Alright, we're going to fight them."

"They have guns," Ken informed. "I have...A toothpick? Is this really going to stop them?"

"Aren't you packing?" Mike asked. "I thought you and the charming idiot," he gestured towards me, "had weapons."

"We did," I muttered, "but those few attacks we had before this drained the last of my ammo."

"Mine too," Ken added.

"Then use your toothpick and get it in someone's eye," Mike scolded. "Just make sure they suffer for trying to kill us like that."

The helicopter blades came to a stop, and that seemed to calm Bill down to mild whimpers, clutching onto Zoey's shirt for comfort. She held him tighter than I had ever seen before, Ellis holding onto her shoulders. Bill's cries resurfaced when the echo of heavy footsteps treading along the warehouse floor cut through the very thin silence. It was apparent what we were about to face, and it was a near guarantee that it wouldn't end well.

"You guys ready?" Mike asked and the rest of us disagreed, but it didn't really matter what we chose to say. Either way, we were about to enter into a battle with a very cloudy outcome.

The footsteps drew closer, feeding off of the sound of Bill's increasing cries. It wasn't until they were a few feet away when Ellis made his harsh demand.

"Zoe," he began slowly and quietly, "I know you hate being told to stay on the sidelines, but please try not to get involved." Zoey opened her mouth, forming a counter-argument, but Ellis stopped her. "Don't start this! You need to look after Bill. If anything happens, it should be to me and not you. Stay back."

_BAM! _The clinic door was thrown open and five, helmeted, muscular guards dressed in all black stormed in. One of the guards had all sorts of badges patched onto his bullet proof vest, designating him as the captain of the group.

"On your knees, Carriers," he shouted, and Mike made it his job to strike the first blow. With a dull scalpel in hand, he charged towards the guard and swiped, ultimately missing his target and stumbling over his feet. The captain, clearly unimpressed, brought his elbow down on top of Mike's head and he collapsed onto the floor. "We will open fire," the captain continued, as his officers raised their own weapons, assault rifles.

Slowly, the Carrier's obliged, dropping to their knees and lowering their heads. I followed behind, but one of the guards laughed cruelly. "You're not a Carrier," he mocked. "We only want the ten...And Jeremy."

"Did I give you permission to speak, Officer Gates," the captain scolded and the officer that had mocked me recoiled in fear. "Exactly. I want all the Carriers on one side of the room, and the rest of you on the other side. Doctor Strader had specific orders."

Despite how serious the situation was, I felt like it was my need to shoot Kai an "I-Told-You-So" look, which, thankfully, he caught. He hung his head lower than the others.

"You can't take them!" Leilani protested, stepping forward. A guard matched her footing and raised his gun a little higher.

"Move one step closer, love," he urged, "I need some target practice."

"Officer Andrews," the captain snarled, then looked to Leilani. "It's for the greater good. These Carriers are needed elsewhere."

"But where?" Leilani persisted.

"That's classified information."

"I'll show you classified information," Rochelle threatened as she jumped to her feet. "You can't just arrive here and think you're all that and split apart a family."

Officer Andrews directed his gun towards Rochelle, the others following. "Same warning goes to you, Princess. I will blow your brains all over this room and all over these people."

"Don't you dare threaten her," Francis barked, standing up.

This started a movement among the other Carriers and even the Colonists, Jeremy and I got involved. There were more of us than them; if anyone, they should be afraid.

Then again...They had guns. The best we had were toothpicks and dull scalpels. Zoey was the only one who hid away, holding Bill protectively against her chest.

"You guys need to learn a lesson about approachin' people and askin' for things," Ellis shouted.

"A kick in the ass wouldn't hurt either," Nick snarled.

"You've barked up the wrong tree, Brothers," Coach announced lowly.

The captain didn't seem fazed by the threats he was receiving. Instead, he just raised his hand and flicked his wrist. Before we knew it, we were overcome by the few guards that had invaded our temporary home.

Officer Andrews yanked Rochelle into a choke hold. While she struggled to free herself, Francis charged towards the guard, raising his fist and throwing it across the guard's face, hurting himself more than his intended target. Officer Andrews chuckled, kicking Francis in the gut, causing him to stumble into another guard's constrictive hold.

Ellis backed up, standing in front of Zoey holding up his fists to protect her against the guard that had cornered them. "Take me," he pleaded, "just let her live!"

The guard didn't respond, instead dropping the butt of his gun on top of Ellis's head, the country hick crumpling to the ground in a groaning heap. Natara ran up behind and held the guard in a choke hold as Zoey dodged out of his path and closer towards me. I pushed her behind me and kept an open eye, more focused on Natara, who was still in power over the guard. He struggled to rip her hands off from around his neck, but she was stronger; much stronger. Running out of breath, he began to stumble about before collapsing to the ground, unconscious.

If only that actually dented the guard's forces.

Because of how small the clinic was, only a few of the guards had been able to squeeze through. Now that one guard was down, another one jumped in his place, as Officer Gates advanced towards Natara. When he overpowered her, I abandoned Zoey to help her. The young mother found shelter near Coach and Louis, but their forces were weakening as even more guards poured in, pulling away the unconscious or imprisoned bodies of people we had fought alongside; Francis, Rochelle, Ellis, and even Nick.

"Get off of my wife," I shouted, bringing up my knee into the offending guard's stomach, underneath his protective vest. The guard lurched forward, releasing Natara, who delivered a final blow, knocking him onto the ground.

"Thanks, hon," she replied, panting heavily.

"What are husbands for," I said with a smirk. It was a short reunion. After we had succeeded, Zoey screamed out, drawing our attention towards her. The captain of the group was trying to rip Bill away from her as two more guards dragged away Coach, Louis, and Jeremy; all were out cold. Ken rushed over to fight the captain, but another guard entered, tackling my friend to the ground. It wasn't long before Ken was taken away too.

"Give me the child," the captain shouted, succeeding in taking Bill away. Bill screamed out, reaching out for his mother. The captain had no intentions of hurting him. In fact, he was more than gentle with the baby as he handed him to Joey, who tried to throw his fist at the intruder, but failed.

The captain pushed Zoey into the arms of another guard. She was doing something I had never seen her do; she was sobbing uncontrollably, too upset to fight back. She was led away and more guards took her place. The only people left that the guards had wanted were Natara and Kai. It wasn't long before the goofy scientist was overtaken, though. Ten more guards faced Natara and I and slowly advanced.

We had no chance...We both knew this. Natara faced me, tears clouding her hazel eyes. I knew what was coming, but I wasn't ready for it.

"We'll be back," she said, placing her hands on my shoulders. "We'll be okay. I love you, Mal." She pulled me into a kiss that was all-to short for the distance that was about to separate us for who knows how long.

"Nat..." I began, but the captain grabbed her by the shoulder and pulled her back. "Nat!"

"I love you," she called again, "I love you so much!"

And like that, she and the other Carriers, Jeremy and the guards were gone. The helicopters kicked to life and their blades faded off into the distance. It was a fight I knew we would lose; but I wasn't ready to face the failure. Something bad was going to happen to them, I knew it. But could I do anything?

Well...I could do one thing.

The Colonists, shaken by the attack, were quiet with fear. I faced Mike, trying to look as stoic as possible. "How's work on the escape vehicle?"

"It...It could take days," he replied, "even months. We're far from done."

"We're not going to sleep," I began sharply, "we're not going to rest, we're not doing anything until this escape vehicle is finished and until my family is home safely and Strader is rotting in prison for what he's done."


	16. Chapter Fifteen: Search and Rescue

**_No replies again today, but a special thank you to ZeDancingHobbit, Mozzi-Girl, and The Beautiful Filth! Also, thank you HeyimAngel for reading and reviewing Cause 4 Death! :D_**

**_Again, it's another one of those chapters that I don't like as much, but I wanted to get something up before I take another leave for school work and roleplaying stuff. Feel free to ask questions if you are confused, and I'll answer through either PM or through Revew Replies next time!_**

**_Thank you and please enjoy! _**

* * *

**Chapter Fifteen: Search and Rescue**

**You Are Now Natara Fallon**

As you oblige to the captain's order to leave your husband and your new friends behind, you can't help but unleash the tears you've felt building up. The captain, ignoring your soft cries, leads you to the helicopter, where the rest of the Carriers and the boy you met earlier, Jeremy, wait. Some of the Carriers still lay slumped against the copter's wall, strapped in tightly so they do not stumble about when the helicopter takes its course. You take a seat next to Zoey, who hides her face in her hands, still immersed in her constant sobbing. You wrap your arm around her shoulder and she leans into you.

"It's going to be alright," you assure her through your own soft cries, but she shakes her head.

"How do you know?" she demands. "How can you be so sure that everything is going to work out? These guys work for Strader; the same guy who managed to take down the most heavily guarded man in the nation. We're going to _die_." The helicopter jerks to life and in no time, you feel you're in the air.

"Hey," you say, raising your voice just slightly. "We're not going to die, and we're not going to let Strader win. For goodness sake, you single-handedly took down gorilla size monsters on a daily basis!"

"Yeah," Zoey replies coldly. "Seven years ago..."

"You still did it. I wouldn't be surprised if your skills have gotten better, especially since you've become a mother." She shakes her head and you face her, taking her shoulders in your hands. "Look," you begin, "don't you think I'm upset to? Aren't we all?"

"They took my baby," Zoey mutters. "He's going to die without me."

"You can always find the negative in everything," you remind her, "but the positive always outweighs the negative. Listen; Mal is there. He's going to make sure Bill stays alive because he himself is a father who is desperately missing his little girl. He's not going to let anyone else endure that pain. You also have the Colonists. Yeah, we may not know them as well, but I doubt they will let a baby die in their watch. Allison, George, John C., John V., Mike, Joey, and Leilani are good, strong, incredible people that I would trust with my life because of they way they have been treating each other, us, and the Colony itself.

"I'm sad too, Zoe. In fact, I am _heartbroken_, but I will not let that control my thoughts."

Zoey looks at you, intent on trying to receive your message. Her face clears of the pained expression, and you know you have succeeded. She nods slowly.

"Alright," she says, wiping at her eyes. "Alright. Everything is going to be okay...Mal is going to save us...The Colonists will take care of Bill."

You nod, grinning slightly. Across the helicopter, the others begin to stir awake, some cursing out loud when they notice their surroundings.

"You've got to be kidding me," Francis growls. "We lost?"

You nod once more. "But Mal is going to save us."

Nick scoffs loudly. "Really now? What's the non-Carrier going to do?"

You resist the urge to insult him, seeing as that would only worsen the situation. "He's going to do what we can't do; find a way to get us home."

Nick rolled his eyes. "Great observation, Sweetheart...But here's the problem; how will he know where to find us? It's not like Strader's going to display a huge neon sign that says, '_Carriers: Get Them While They're Hot!_'."

"True," Rochelle groaned, rubbing her temples. "Hon, I like Mal...But there is no way he can find out where we'll be in the next few hours."

You shrug. "I don't know...I just have this gut feeling..."

Zoey's small giggles cuts you off. "It's cute how you two say that." She looks up, tears staining her dirt covered face. "But you're right. Mal's going to find a way to save us."

Your smile widens and the feeling of hope that you have longed for since you received the news about the death of the president, begins to rise. "He will," you assure one last time before the only noise is the helicopter's blades.

-C.o.D-

**Mal's P.O.V**

I have no idea how to save them.

It has been about an hour since my family was abducted and since, I have discovered that my promise to help them was crushed by obvious logic. _I don't even know where the hell they're going_. When I had realized this, I stopped working on our escape vehicle and threw my wrench towards the wall, startling everyone except Mike, who scowled at me.

"You're the one who wanted to get this finished," he hissed, "and now you're trashing the warehouse?"

"How are we even going to reach them?" I demanded and Mike rolled his eyes. "No, seriously! We've been working on this for an hour and none of you stopped to realize that we don't even know where they're going. For all we know, they could be halfway across the country, or even in another country...And no one pointed this out?!"

"Mal," Allison warned and I shook my head.

"No!" I growled, "Don't. I just lost my whole family, and my wife! My kid is somewhere in Russia and I'm stuck here while a psycho that I helped nurse back to health is trying to _kill _the Carriers!"

"You need to calm down, Man," Joey began, stepping towards me. I shot him a look, hoping it would convince him to step back, but he only persisted forward. "Look...You're obviously stuck in the past."

"Kind of hard not to be," I muttered.

"That's okay," Joey continued. "You lost some people who were very important to you."

"Don't you dare use past tense," I snarled. "They're not dead."

He held his hands up in apology. "I'm sorry. You lost family that are very important to you. But you've got to realize that we have all been separated from the people we love. We know the heartache you're going through. So just take a deep breath and maybe we can stop work for today and..."

"No!" I said. "We are not stopping our work. We need to get out of here and find them. Especially before Strader does something bad."

"Look," Leilani spoke up, gently rocking a fussing Bill. "We're exhausted from today's events. I think it's best that we take a break for tonight and start again tomorrow."

I couldn't bear the thought of halting the project so we could sleep for several hours; several hours that we were willing to give to Strader. It's like we were saying, "Do your worst!"

"You guys can go to sleep," I replied, and strolled over to the wrench I had tossed in anger. "I'm going to continue working..."

"Without a destination?" Mike asked. His reply was filled with pity instead of sarcasm. "You're going to keep building this piece of junk...Even though you have no clue if you're even going to need it?" He took a weak step towards me, using one hand to apply pressure to his healing wound. "Mal...There's nothing we can do."

I clenched my fist, an unfriendly memory coming back to me.

_It was a December, if I can remember correctly. I try not to._

_She was lying in the hospital bed, weaker than ever. Cynthia sat next to me as we watched her slowly fade. She didn't know who we were, but she spoke fondly of her children (us). Earlier that day, she had recalled all the great childhood memories that I had slowly forgotten after her passing. Once nightfall hit, it was apparent that she wasn't going to make it to see tomorrow. I kept praying though, hoping that, if there was a God, he wouldn't take my mother away from me in my time of need._

_He must have had other plans._

_A doctor slowly made his way into the room. Cynthia and I looked at him, hopeful. He bit his lower lip and ran through a couple tests before turning to my sister and I._

"_Cynthia..Mal...I'm afraid there's nothing we can do."_

"_There has to be something," Cynthia begged. "Can't we give her some medicine..."_

"_She's been suffering for a long time," the doctor replied. "If anything, the best medicine we can give her is one to make it all end faster."_

_I stood up, fuming. "You guys are supposed to work miracles," I shouted. "You're supposed to save her like you do to all of your other patients!"_

"_Mal..." Cynthia warned quietly._

"_No, can't you see what they're doing?" I asked her. "They're letting Mom die!" The D word stuck in my throat as a dull ache. I tried not to use that word, especially around Mom. I had already lost my dad...Now I was losing my mom. I slowly sat down and placed my head in my hands. "You can't let her die..."_

_Cynthia wrapped her arms around me and the doctor shuffled out of the room. Once he was gone, I looked back up at my mom. Her breathing was barely visible. This disease that had captivated her had won its battle. Her organs were surrendering faster than I could say, "I love you," one last time._

_The days that followed were the worst of my life, but there was always one thing that bothered me. My mother was never coming back. I had no will to find a way to get her back because it was simply not possible._

_The last time someone told me, "There's nothing we can do," I lost someone I loved._

I was not going to let that happen this time. Much like medicine to combat a cancer, there had to be a solution to find Natara and the others. There had to be something...Or someone.

"Wait a second," I muttered, "wait just a second."

"What's on your mind?" Leilani asked.

"I think I just figured out a way to find my family," I said and the gang raised their eyebrows.

"How?" Joey demanded.

"I know someone...A real pompous jerk sometimes, but with a real high social status," I explained. "I worked with him during the apocalypse for the last month or so. He ran a CEDA HQ, and now he's mayor of San Francisco."

John V. snapped his fingers, trying to remember the mayor's name. "I know this one," he said, "I know it...Oswald Mantos, right?"

I shook my head. "Close...Oscar Santos." The group nodded and I sighed heavily. "Natara always wanted me to check up on him...I guess now is a good time."

"Well," Mike called, "let's get working, then! It's a six hour trip and the longer we wait, the greater the opportunity we give to Strader."

There might not have been a solution for my mom...But there definitely was for finding the other Carriers and Natara.


End file.
